New Beginnings
by StarryNight101
Summary: Usagi thought that defeating Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom was the hardest thing she would ever have to do. But when a new enemy shows up, Mamoru starts acting strangely, peculiar new Senshi arrive, and some mysterious old foes return, she begins to realize she may be in over her head. Set during season 2, with a twist. Sequel to Changes, but can act as a standalone story.
1. It Starts All Over Again

**DISCLAIMER: Do you really think I own Sailor Moon? Sailor Moon never has and never will belong to me. :(**

**AN: Hello, everyone! This story is a sequel to my fanfic set during season 1, Changes, but I'm pretty sure it can act as a standalone story as well. There will be definitely be references to Changes, but I want this to be accessible to as many people as possible, so it shouldn't be a problem if you haven't read Changes. (But -little bit of shameless self-promotion here- I encourage you to read Changes for the full experience!)**

**For those of you who _have_ read Changes, this story will be similar in the sense that it follows the basic plot of the R season, but with some changes. However, this will stray a bit more from canon than Changes did, which you will notice already in this chapter.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please review to let me know what you think!**

* * *

It was a bright, sunny day in Tokyo, and Usagi sat on a bench in the park, sighing contentedly. It had been a few weeks since everyone's memories returned after the fight with Queen Beryl. Luna had warned of a new enemy, but aside from the occasional youma attack, and some bizarre energy readings, everything was normal.

She and Mamoru were finally a real couple, she was getting slightly better grades in school with his help in tutoring her, and she, Ami, Rei, Minako and Makoto could finally just be normal girls with normal lives.

Plus, Ikuko didn't seem to have regained her memories, so Usagi didn't have to deal with her mom knowing she was Sailor Moon. It was a relief, but also a bit of a disappointment. She wasn't sure how to have a relationship with her mom when Ikuko knew the truth about her daughter.

It made things easier, and yet… telling her had been such a relief. She had wanted so badly to tell her family, to stop lying and sneaking around. Having her family know about her secret identity would make things so much easier, and also so much harder. But she knew she didn't have a choice, as long as her mom didn't remember, she couldn't tell them. They would be safer that way.

"Sorry I'm late," a voice said, interrupting Usagi's thoughts.

"I thought _I_ was the one with punctuality issues," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I got tied up with work at the university," Mamoru said. "But I'm here now." He smiled, but it seemed a little forced, and something seemed a little off about him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Yes, I know, me being late must mean the world is ending or I'm terribly sick," he said. "I already apologized, Usako. Now could we please get on with our date? I was really looking forward to it."

Usagi smiled. She loved it when he called her Usako. He was waiting with his hand outstretched, and she took it, pulling herself up off the bench. He drew her into an embrace, and kissed her.

"Did I say I was sorry for being late?" he said between kisses.

"Mm, if this is the kind of apology I get you should be late more often," she said. He playfully scowled at her, and she shook off the feeling she'd had earlier that something was off about him. She had to stop over-thinking these things.

Although their relationship was great, things weren't entirely without trouble. It was weird, trying to begin a relationship with Mamoru, when she had all these memories of their past life together. They had all the memories of Serenity and Endymion, but they weren't really those people anymore. Mamoru and Usagi were new to this relationship, but Serenity and Endymion had already loved and lost.

And then there was the issue of when Mamoru had been brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom. Usagi shuddered at the thought. That had been one of the darkest periods of her life. Becoming Sailor Moon, fighting the Dark Kingdom… all of it was so hard, but losing Mamoru, right after she realized what he meant to her, that was what nearly broke her.

Even after getting him back, Usagi was occasionally plagued by nightmares and doubts, and an overwhelming feeling she would lose him again. She was always on the lookout for slight abnormalities, something to suggest that things would change for the worse. It was ridiculous, of course, nothing could tear them apart now that they had found each other again. But she still worried, because she didn't think she could stand losing him again. Not now, not after everything she'd been through.

"Usagi?" Mamoru said. "Are you listening to me?"

"Sorry," she said, plastering a smile onto her face. She was on a date with her boyfriend, it was a beautiful day, and her life was going great. Now was not the time to worry. "What were you saying?"

"You can be so air-headed sometimes," he chided gently. "I was just saying that I got us reservations at that new restaurant, so we have an hour to kill before lunch."

"Ooh, that sounds so nice," she said. "How did you manage to get reservations on such short notice?"

"Motoki is friends with the owner, I asked him to call in a favor," he said. "Being the best friend of the manager of a café and arcade sure can be useful."

"Do you think we should tell Motoki about our relationship?" she asked, resting her head against his shoulder. So far, they'd been keeping their relationship relatively secret. Of course, the Senshi all knew about it, but no one else did. They'd wanted to take things slow, and keep it to themselves for a little while.

"Eventually," he said. "And I'm sure he'll be mad when he founds out we've been keeping it a secret. But I kind of like having it just be between us at the moment."

"Me too," Usagi admitted.

They walked in silence through the park for a few minutes, enjoying the sunny weather and each other's company. A sudden scream sliced through the serene silence. Mamoru and Usagi looked at each other, each knowing what it must be: a youma attack.

Usagi broke into a run, Mamoru following close behind. Up ahead, there was some sort of youma, although it looked different from anything she had seen before. It was terrorizing the people in the park, breathing ice, which froze people solid if it touched them. Seeing them approach, the youma turned towards them, and with a guttural roar, it sent ice in their direction.

"Go transform!" Mamoru said, pushing Usagi out of the way of the blast, and narrowly dodging it himself.

Dashing behind a tree, Usagi called out her transformation phrase. "Moon Prism Power!" She pulled out her communicator, and quickly called the other Senshi, informing them of the youma attack.

"Hey you!" she said, stepping out from behind the tree. Mamoru was trying to hold off the youma, but he hadn't transformed into Tuxedo Kamen, and so Sailor Moon knew he wouldn't last long. She needed to distract the youma long enough for the other Senshi to arrive, and help finish it off.

"What do you think you're doing, freezing people on such a beautiful day like this?" she said, hoping to draw the youma's attention away from Mamoru and the innocent civilians. "People should be spending time with their loved ones, and enjoying the sunshine, not running for their lives!"

The youma didn't say anything, but it sent a flurry of ice daggers towards her. Sailor Moon dropped to the ground just in time, feeling the _whoosh_ of air as the daggers narrowly missed her head, and instead collided with the tree behind her.

"Some people had plans with their boyfriend, which you're kinda ruining," she muttered under breath, picking herself up off the ground.

"Crescent Beam!" Venus' light beam hit the enemy, but it barely seemed to do any damage.

"Uh… Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked, looking up to find all the Senshi had arrived. "A little help here?"

"Working on it," the blue-haired Senshi said, already tapping away furiously at her mini computer.

The youma roared incomprehensibly, and sent a burst of ice daggers towards the clustered Senshi. They dove for cover, but one of the daggers impaled itself in Sailor Moon's calf, and another grazed Jupiter's shoulder.

"Sailor Moon!" Mamoru had managed to slip away and transform, and he ran over to Sailor Moon's side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, wincing a little as she got up.

"It doesn't appear to have any obvious weakness," Mercury said. "Despite being an ice-based form, it's not susceptible to fire. I think our best bet is to just hit it strong and hard, continuously."

No sooner had the words left her mouth, when a wave of water crashed into the youma. Everyone looked at Mercury, but she looked just as puzzled as the rest of them.

"That wasn't me," she said. She frowned, and began calculating something else on her computer.

A graceful, feminine figure leapt off of a tree branch landing right next to the Senshi. She had shoulder-length turquoise hair, and she was wearing a uniform like the Senshi, but Sailor Moon had never seen her before.

"Leave this to us," she said coolly.

"World Shaking!" A ball of light slammed into the youma, and it howled in pain. Another person jumped down, landing next to the mysterious woman. The newcomer was also wearing what looked like a Sailor fuku, but again, she wasn't anyone Sailor Moon had ever seen before.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" Sailor Moon called out, shaking herself out of her confused stupor. She had a job to do. The youma screamed one last time, and turned to a pile of dust. Slowly, the civilians which had been frozen started to thaw out, and the last remaining people in the park fled the scene.

"I said you should leave it to us!" the blue-haired girl snapped. "You shouldn't have interfered."

"I…" Sailor Moon trailed off. Who were these people? Were they Sailor Senshi, too? If so, why were they acting like this? Weren't the Senshi a team? And if they _weren't_ Sailor Senshi, then who the hell were they?

"We had it under control," the other girl, this one with short blonde hair, said. "Your meddling will only get in our way."

"I have a job to do," Sailor Moon said lamely.

"So do we," the blonde girl said. "You don't know what you're dealing with, so next time we tell you to get out of our way, do it."

"Well, well, well," a voice said.

The Senshi, plus the two newcomers, turned to look at the source of the voice. A red-headed man stood there, an upside-down black crescent moon on his forehead, and a smirk on his face.

"You may have defeated my droid," he said. "But make no mistake—that was just the tiniest taste of my powers. I will get what I've come for, and I will destroy you in the process. I will take everything you have ever loved, Sailor Moon, and take it from you. The Black Moon Clan never fails." With a bone-chilling laugh, he vanished into thin air.

"I told you, you have no idea what you're dealing with," the blonde girl said, shaking her head. "Go home." The two turned to walk away, leaving the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen standing there, very stunned.

"Who were they?" Mars asked. "And who was _that_ guy?"

"I have no idea," Sailor Moon whispered. She hated to admit it, but what if those girls were right? What if she was clueless? They seemed to know a lot more about the situation than she did. The second she contemplated it, Sailor Moon knew they were wrong. She might not know exactly what was going on, but she had defeated Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. She could handle this.

"Mercury, I want you to start researching," she said, her voice taking on an authoritative tone. "Of course, we also need to tell Luna and Artemis about this. I want to know who those two are, and who the Black Moon Clan is. I don't like being left in the dark."

Mercury nodded. "We should also take a look at your leg. Let's go back to the base, we can fill in Luna and Artemis there."

* * *

Back at their base underneath the Crown Arcade, Usagi filled Luna and Artemis in on the mysterious events of the day, while Ami bandaged her leg.

"I don't like this," Luna said. "The Black Moon Clan… that name sounds so familiar to me for some reason. I'll see what my research has to say."

"I want to know who those two new Senshi were," Usagi said. "Were they even Senshi? And if they are Senshi, why were they so mean to us?"

"I wish I could help you," Artemis said. "But you girls are the only Senshi Luna and I know of. My memories of our past lives on the Moon are still a little fuzzy, but you girls are the only ones we were sent to awaken. If there are more Senshi, that's news to me."

Sighing, Usagi leaned back in her chair. She had so many questions, so many things she wish she knew the answer to. Trying to figure it all out was giving her a headache, so she rubbed her eyes, and tried to think of something else.

"Oh!" she cried, springing up from her chair. "I almost forgot, I told Mamoru I'd meet him once I was done here!"

"Careful with the leg," Ami called after Usagi as she ran up the stairs to the Arcade. "You shouldn't put too much weight on it."

Usagi ignored her, taking the stairs two at a time, eager to see Mamoru. Their date had been rudely interrupted, and she hoped they would be able to pick back up where they left off.

She quickly made her way through the Arcade, heading towards the exit. Luna had explained to her that there was a glamour concealing the entrance to their base, so no one would be able to detect it, or find it odd that Usagi was appearing from the back of the arcade.

Mamoru was waiting for her when she got outside, his hands in his pockets, and a slightly troubled look on his face. He didn't say anything, just nodded at her as she came up to him.

"Mamo-chan!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Can you walk with me for a minute?" he asked, disentangling himself from her.

"Sure," she said. "Is something going on?"

He didn't say anything, and Usagi bit her lip nervously. What could be making him act this way? But she didn't know what to say, so they walked in silence for several minutes, heading towards the park.

"Mamoru?" she asked again. "Is everything okay? You seem kind of… distant."

He sighed. "We need to talk about our relationship, Usagi."

"Okay…" she said, not sure where this was going. "What about it?"

"I just don't think it's working out between us," he said. "I think we should break up."

* * *

**AN: Sorry to leave you hanging like that… but I will do my best to update soon! (Psst- reviews help encourage me to update quickly!)**


	2. The Breakup

**AN: And here's chapter 2! Sorry for the bit of the delay in update, things tend to get kind of crazy over the holidays. But now that Christmas and New Year's are all over, I should have more time to update, so hopefully the third chapter will be up soon!**

**Many thanks to my reviewers: Chas, Bin82501, and slightlyxjaded. For those of you who know me and have read my other fics, you know that 3 reviews is generally what I ask for. HOWEVER, I did get a lot of follows/favorites for the last chapter, and as nice as those are, reviews are even nicer.**

**So pretty please review? :)**

* * *

"What?" Usagi said, sure she had heard Mamoru wrong.

"I think we need to break up," he said again.

"But…. why?" she said. "I don't understand."

"Look, it's just not working out between us, okay?" he snapped. "Can't we just leave it at that?"

"No, we can't leave it at that!" she said. "Is it something I did? Because I can change, I swear, if that's the problem. But I love you, Mamoru, please give me a second chance!"

Mamoru shook his head. "It's not that. It's just… we're incompatible. I gave this a relationship a try, but it won't work, because I just don't feel the same about you."

"But what about our past lives?" she said, trying to grasp onto something, anything. "What about Serenity and Endymion? We went through so much just to find each other again, you can't just abandon all that and say you never loved me!"

"I am not Endymion," he said, his voice low and harsh. "And you are not Serenity. I will not live my life based off of the actions and feelings of somebody else."

"Please, don't do this," she said, her voice barely a whisper and thick with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, but it's over." With that, he strode away, leaving Usagi heartbroken on the sidewalk in front of the Arcade.

Suddenly aware of the aching pain in her injured leg, it took all she had not to collapse right there on the sidewalk. She knew that the Senshi were still at the base, and she could easily go back to them. But they were trying to conduct official Senshi business, and figure out who all the mysterious newcomers were. They didn't have time for her to cry about her personal drama. She had to be mature.

* * *

Usagi wandered aimlessly for awhile, not really going anywhere in particular. With each step her leg throbbed and her heart ached more and more, until it was unbearable. She collapsed into an old phone booth, not even caring that people could likely see her as she curled up into a ball and cried.

She had been through so, so much since she was first told she was Sailor Moon. She had loved and lost more than she thought possible, she had matured from crybaby Usagi Tsukino into a warrior of love and justice, sworn to defend the Earth. She had fought, she had won and lost, she had even _died_.

But through it all, she had Mamoru. Even when she was constantly bickering with him, and complaining about him to her friends, he was there. Even when he was brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom, there was a part of her that clung onto him, and knew that he would return to her someday. Even when she had lost her memories of the past, there was a part of her that still recognized Mamoru.

But now… he had been taken from her before, but not like this. When she lost him last time, it was something she could fight, something she could fix. But how was she supposed to fix this when it wasn't brainwashing that took him from her, but his choice? The thought made her wrap her arms even more tightly around herself, as a sob wrenched itself from her throat.

* * *

After some time, Usagi wasn't sure how long, her communicator buzzed. She took in a shaky breath, trying to stop the tears for just a moment. She was tempted to just ignore it, but it was the communicator they used for official Senshi business, not her regular phone.

"Hello?" she said, her voice falsely cheerful as she opened the communicator.

"We've got important information about the newcomers," a voice said. Rei. "Can you meet us at the base in five?"

"Sure," she said, trying to keep her voice from breaking.

There was a pause at the other end of the line. "Are you okay?"

Usagi knew that if she talked about what happened, she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears. Even thinking about it made her want to shrivel up and die. The communicator was supposed to be used only for official Senshi business anyways, to make sure their covers weren't compromised.

"Fine," she said, despite the fact that she couldn't be further from fine. Now wasn't the time to discuss it. "I'll see you at the base." She hung up quickly, and gulped in a lungful of fresh air, trying to calm herself. After a moment, she felt stable enough to leave without falling apart again.

She walked towards the arcade slowly, trying to keep weight off her injured leg. It was taking her longer than five minutes, and she knew Rei would likely be mad, but she would just have to deal with it.

The arcade was crowded, but the glamour around the base kept anyone from noticing as Usagi walked towards the back room, and descended down a secret staircase.

"You're late!" Rei said the second Usagi set foot on the base floor. "If you couldn't make it here in five minutes, you should have said so, instead of keeping everyone waiting!"

"Sorry," she said, keeping her voice very carefully even. "You know me, I'm so bad with punctuality!" Rei looked at her funny, so she plastered on a fake grin.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rei said. "You sounded upset over the communicator…"

"I'm fine," she said, starting to feel like her face was about to split in two from the effort it took to keep the smile on her face. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Usagi… what's wrong?"

The look of concern on Rei's face, on everyone's faces, tipped her over the edge, and she couldn't stop the tears. "Mamoru broke up with me," she managed to choke out.

"He what?" Rei said.

"That bastard!" Makoto cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"He said he didn't love me," she said, now full-on sobbing. "I don't understand!"

"I'm so sorry, Usagi," Luna said, her voice kind. "I know he meant a lot to you."

"I don't get it," she said again. "Just earlier today we were on a date, and everything was perfect. How can someone go from loving to cold that quickly?"

"Maybe he's been brainwashed again," Makoto suggested, but Usagi shook her head.

"It didn't feel like that," she said. "I would have known if it wasn't really him. But I just wish I understood _why_… I thought Mamoru was the one constant in my life."

"Hey, we're a constant," Minako said. "I know it's not the same, but we're here for you. We always will be." The other girls nodded their assent.

"Thank you," Usagi said, the ghost of a real smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. Sniffling, she wiped away the tears. "Now what was it you wanted to talk about? You have information?"

"It can wait," Luna said. "For now, you should rest. It's been a hard day."

"Come on, I'll buy you a milkshake," Minako said, and she lead Usagi upstairs to the arcade. "Good thing Luna and Artemis built the base under the arcade, huh? Now we barely have to move at all to get Motoki's quality milkshakes."

Usagi smiled a little, and let Minako lead her upstairs. She was still heartbroken, but having her friends there made it so much easier.

* * *

Minako and Usagi sat down at the counter, and ordered two double-chocolate malt milkshakes. Usagi wished she could talk to Motoki, but she couldn't exactly tell him she and Mamoru broke up when he had no idea they were dating in the first place.

Still, he could clearly tell something was wrong, as his brows furrowed together in concern when he saw Usagi. She knew she probably looked like a mess, and her face was likely stained with tears, but she was grateful to Motoki for not pressing the issue. She wasn't sure how she'd explain it if he asked.

He returned a couple moments later with their milkshakes, extra whipped cream on Usagi's. Minako dug into her purse to find the money, but Motoki held up a hand.

"It's on the house," he said. "You look like you need chocolate milkshakes more than I need the money."

Usagi smiled in gratitude, and took a sip of her milkshake. It was creamy and chocolate-y and delicious, frosty cold and sugary sweet, just the way it should be. Motoki made the best milkshakes.

Minako tried to keep her mind off of Mamoru and the break up by making up stories about the people they saw at the arcade.

"Ooh, see that guy over there with the dorky glasses?" she said, jerking her head in the direction of a young man who sat in a booth, his head bent over a comic book. "He's secretly studying to be a rocket scientist. He has a book on physics hidden behind that comic book, that's what he's actually reading."

Usagi giggled. "Why is he at the arcade, then?"

"Well, duh, 'cause even rocket scientists in training need milkshakes," Minako said. "But he didn't want to stick out like a sore pinky, so he's undercover, pretending to be a typical nerd."

"I think that's sore thumb."

"Whatever," Minako waved off the correction. "The point still stands."

Usagi smiled, and after a moment she spoke. "Thank you."

Minako's gaze softened. "Of course. And I know this isn't much consolation, but… if he can't appreciate you, if he can't realize what he has… then he doesn't deserve you. And you'll find somebody better."

Usagi sighed, staring down into her milkshake glass. She wished that Minako were right. She wished that she could find somebody else, but she knew that she would never stop loving Mamoru.

"Ooh, look, the new racing game is empty!" Minako said. "Come on, I'll race you."

She dragged Usagi over to the two-player racing game. It had arrived recently, and was very popular, so there was usually a line of people waiting to play, but not today.

Usagi sat down in the chair, selected a sporty blue car, and pushed play. She had to admit that in spite of herself, she was having a lot of fun. The feelings of heartbreak and despair were still there, right beneath the surface, waiting to be unearthed. But for right now she was… happy.

As she and Minako raced each other, each one trying desperately to pass the other, she even laughed a little. When she beat Minako, coming in 5th place to Minako's 7th, she even did a little victory gloat.

"5th place," a voice said from behind her. "Not bad, Odango."

Usagi whirled around in her seat and found a tall, handsome man standing behind her. He was wearing the uniform of the private high school, so he clearly wasn't _too_ much older than her, but he looked very grownup.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Not at all," he said. "It's a hard game. Of course, I can do better, but I can do better than everyone."

"Oh yeah?" Usagi said, feeling bold all of a sudden. "I bet you're all talk."

"I'll race you, if your friend doesn't mind," he said, nodding towards Minako.

"Not at all," Minako said, sliding out of the seat and elbowing Usagi in the ribs with a very meaningful look.

He put a couple of coins into the machine, and selected his car. "You think I'm all talk? Watch this." The game started, and he turned to smirk at Usagi, expertly maneuvering his car even when he wasn't looking at the screen.

Usagi slammed down on the accelerator pedal, wildly clutching at the steering wheel to avoid crashing, but over-corrected on a turn, and her car skidded off the road. Meanwhile, the handsome stranger was in 1st place, way ahead of anyone else. His car sped along with elegance and power that Usagi didn't even know was possible. She stared at his screen, her mouth agape, before she realized that everyone was passing her, and she had slipped into 8th place, the lowest spot.

She shook herself out of her daze, and managed to slide into 7th place right at the very end, but the stranger had already finished in first, and was looking at her with amusement.

"See?" he said. "I told you I'm unbeatable, Odango."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" she said irritably. It reminded her too much of Mamoru.

"I like your hairstyle," he said. "It's cute. _You're_ cute." He slid a little closer to her, his smile broadening.

"I have a boyfriend," she blurted out, averting her eyes from this mysterious, handsome stranger. _Not anymore_, a voice in the back of her head said. _Mamoru broke up with you, remember?_

"So?" he said.

Usagi wasn't sure what to say to that, but she was saved by the appearance of a girl, wearing the same high school uniform.

"Are you bothering the cute girls again, Haruka?" she said with a shake of her head. "Whatever am I supposed to do with you?"

"Are you his girlfriend?" Usagi asked, suddenly concerned that the girl might take this situation the wrong way. As handsome as the man was, she was still hung up over Mamoru, and she didn't want to create any unnecessary drama.

The girl's eyebrows rose and the corner of her mouth twitched. "_His_ girlfriend? I suppose you could say that." Usagi looked, confused, between the two.

The man smiled again, and extended a hand towards Usagi. "Haruka Tenoh, and yes, this here is my girlfriend, Michiru Kaiou. But I'm not a he."

The implication of his—_her_—words sunk in, and Usagi blushed. She felt very embarrassed for having gotten it wrong, and was about to apologize, when Michiru laughed.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "You're not the first to think Haruka's male. She lets all the cute girls think that."

Usagi blushed again, but managed to collect herself. "I'm Usagi Tsukino. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"We have to go," Haruka said. "See you around, Odango." She ruffled Usagi's hair as she got up and left with Michiru.

* * *

That night, Usagi lay in her bed, trying to sleep, but no sleep would come. She just didn't understand it—why did Mamoru break up with her? Was she too clingy, too annoying, too immature, too something?

She couldn't just believe that he didn't love her, and that he never did, that his memories of Endymion didn't mean anything to him. Because if it were true, if he didn't have any feelings for her… she shivered, despite the warm air coming in through her open window.

He was everything to her. And she hated how boy-crazy and desperate that sounded, because she was more than a lovesick schoolgirl. She was Sailor Moon, dammit, and she wasn't defined by her love for Mamoru. And yet… in a way she was. She would die for him in an instant. She _had_ died for him in their past lives.

They were Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon, Usagi and Mamoru. They had a love that spanned lifetimes, a love that survived death and rebirth twice, a love that survived forgotten memories and brainwashing.

How could they break up now? How could he break up with her after all they had been through together? How could he do this to her, to them?

She turned over in her bed, wiping away the tears. She wished she could be stronger. She wished she could stop her heart from breaking, but she couldn't do anything but cry.

* * *

"_Die, Sailor Moon." He dropped the black rose on the ground in front of her, and a second later the thorny vines wrapped around her._

_She screamed as the dark energy coursed through her body, but he just stood there. She looked at him, her blue eyes pleading, but he stood there, completely unaffected by her pleas or her cries of pain. She screamed again, the sound echoing in his ears, drowning him, but he felt nothing. She was the enemy. She deserved to die._

Mamoru woke with a gasp, and ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to pull himself together. The images kept flashing in front of his eyes, and he could barely stand it. The look on her face, as he told her he was breaking up with her. The look on her face as he tortured her. No matter whether his eyes were open or closed, all he could see was Usagi in pain. When he was asleep, he saw himself killing her. When he was awake, he saw himself breaking her heart.

He had lied, of course, when he said he didn't love her. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone, more than he thought possible for a little orphan boy who lost his parents. Ever since the accident, he had shut people out, kept people at arms length, even been downright cold. But Usagi… she had changed all that.

The last thing he wanted to do was break up with her, but if he didn't, he feared the consequences would be much more than a broken heart. Ever since his memories had returned, he'd been haunted with nightmares.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He was haunted by memories, and that made it so much worse. Every night he saw himself as Endymion of the Dark Kingdom, kicking, strangling, torturing Usagi. But it wasn't just seeing himself doing it, as if he were a neutral third party—he _felt_ himself doing it.

He remembered the way it felt to wrap his hands around her neck, and choke the life out of her. He remembered the way it felt to swing his sword with deadly precision, his only goal to kill Sailor Moon. He remembered the way it felt to feel nothing at all as she screamed and cried and begged him to remember who he was.

At first, he had thought he could move past it. Maybe, over time, the memories would fade, and so would his guilt. But with the new enemy… he knew that his relationship with Usagi put her in danger. The enemy had used him once before to hurt her, and he had nearly killed her. Her love for him was a weakness, one that he couldn't allow.

It was better than they both be heartbroken and she live. He could barely live with himself as it was, and if he ever hurt her again… he couldn't bring himself to finish that thought. It was better this way. He kept telling himself that, but it didn't change the way he felt. It didn't mend his broken heart.

* * *

Early the next day, Usagi sat on the docks, swinging her feet over the edge. Mamoru was going to take her out in a boat on the lake for her birthday, and then they were going to have a romantic picnic in the park.

Scowling, Usagi pushed the thought aside. She had come out here to try and gather her thoughts and process her emotions, not to mope. A flash of something caught her eye, and she looked up, squinting.

A little girl was careening through the sky, and she landed right on Usagi, knocking her over. The girl immediately scrambled off of Usagi's lap, and looked at her distrustfully.

"Who are you?" she said.

* * *

**AN: Review… OR ELSE. Yeah, or else! Doesn't that scare you into reviewing? :)**


	3. The New Senshi Revealed

**AN: Yay for relatively quick updates! I'll try and get the next chapter up quicker, though. It depends entirely on how quickly I manage to update my other Sailor Moon story, A Life Once Forgotten (which- bit of shameless self promotion here- you guys should totally read), as I alternate.**

**Anyways, many, many thanks to my reviewers: slightlyxjaded, ****usagi-chibiusa, and maryyorke. Please please please review! Reviews mean everything to me, I love hearing from my readers. I also really appreciate constructive criticism, so don't feel you have to say you love it if there's something you don't like. It helps me make the story better! **

**Now, on to chapter 3!**

* * *

Usagi stared in shock at the girl who had just fallen from the sky. Who was she? Where had she come from? Was she related to the enemy?

"I said, who are you?" the girl asked impatiently.

"I could ask you the same thing," Usagi said gently. She wasn't sure who this girl was, but she didn't seem like the enemy. "My name is Usagi. Usagi Tsukino. What's your name?"

"I'm Usagi, too," she said.

"Well, how about we call you Chibiusa, to avoid confusion? Would that be okay?" Something about the little girl made Usagi want to protect her; it awakened some instinct deep inside of her that she didn't even realize she had.

"Okay," the girl said a little shyly. "I like Chibiusa." After a second, her eyes widened. "Wait… did you say you're Usagi Tsukino?"

"Yes… why?"

The child, Chibiusa, flung herself at Usagi, and started to cry. "You have to help me! You're the only one who _can_ help me!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Usagi said, gently prying Chibiusa's arms from around her waist. "I can help you, but you need to tell me what the problem is. And why am I the only person who can help you?"

"Puu said that I had to find Sailor Moon, and that Usagi Tsukino would know how to do that, she said that you would be able to help me," the girl sniffed. "My mama's been hurt, and I have to save her! I need the Silver Crystal, if I don't get it, then I won't be able to save my mama, and I won't be able to go back home!"

The Silver Crystal? Sailor Moon? How did she know about these things? Who _was_ this girl?

"I don't think I understand," Usagi said. "Who's Puu? What happened to your mama? Where is she now?"

"Puu's my best friend," Chibiusa said. "My mama was hurt protecting everyone. There was an attack on the Crystal Palace, and my mama was hurt, and only the Silver Crystal can save her."

"The Crystal Palace? Where is that?"

"Crystal Tokyo, of course," Chibiusa said. "The 30th century, where I'm from. The Crystal Palace is my home."

"The 30th century?" Usagi said, shocked. Chibiusa nodded, sniffing and wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"Okay…" Usagi let out a breath. Clearly, this was not just some easily fixed problem. She had a child from the 30th century who had nowhere to go, and needed the help of Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal.

"So… will you help me?"

"Of course I'll help you," Usagi said. "Come on, I need to talk to my friends about something, and you can come with me. We'll meet at the local arcade and you can get a milkshake, okay?"

"Okay," she said, brightening up a little. She grabbed Usagi's hand as she got to her feet, and the two of them set off towards the Crown Arcade.

* * *

"The 30th century?" Luna said. "She said that she was from the 30th century? This is quite complicated indeed…"

Usagi had called an emergency Senshi meeting, and they were all gathered at the base underneath the Crown Arcade. Chibiusa was upstairs, milkshake in hand, and Motoki had promised he'd look after her.

"I just don't know what to do," Usagi said. "We have to help her, but how? I'm not about to hand over the Silver Crystal, and she made it sound like the only way her mother could be saved is with the help of the Silver Crystal."

"How do we know she's not the enemy?" Rei said. Everyone turned to look at her, and she shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying! It seems a little weird that right after this new enemy appears, a mysterious girl we know nothing about shows up, needing the Silver Crystal. It seems a little fishy."

"She's six, Rei," Usagi said. "A very confused and lost six year old. Somehow, she doesn't strike me as enemy material."

Rei put her hands up. "I just thought it was something worth considering."

"No… I think Usagi's right," Luna said. "Usagi, remember yesterday when I told you I'd discovered information on the enemy? I was looking into the name 'Black Moon Clan', as it sounded vaguely familiar. The Black Moon Clan members are magic-wielders from a planet called Nemesis, originating in the 30th century."

Everyone gaped at Luna. "So, the attack that Chibiusa described… do you think it was the Black Moon Clan?" Makoto asked.

"Yes, I do," Luna said. "And it also may mean they're after her."

"We'll protect her," Usagi said fiercely.

"I know," Luna said. "But… be careful. There's still so much we don't know about the Black Moon Clan, or the two mysterious Senshi—if they are indeed Senshi—who showed up. Artemis and I will see what we can find, but you girls be careful out there."

The five Senshi nodded their heads. Although they never talked about it, their deaths had greatly affected them. All of them. It wasn't just the Senshi, Luna and Artemis had been affected, too. Despite the fact that Queen Beryl was dead, and the Dark Kingdom long gone, she was still a presence in their minds as their deaths at her hands hung over their heads.

* * *

After the meeting was over, Usagi and the other girls went upstairs to check on Chibiusa. She was sitting at the counter, an empty milkshake glass beside her, as she drew on a piece of paper with some crayons.

"I managed to rummage up some art supplies to keep her occupied," Motoki said. Looking over at Chibiusa, he quieted his voice. "Who is she?"

"She's…" Usagi trailed off, looking at the other Senshi nervously, but they looked just as panicked. What cover story could they come up with for Chibiusa?

"She's the daughter of a family friend," Usagi said after a moment. That didn't seem like enough, so she added, "Her parents were in an accident, so… she's been through a lot." That at least was close to the truth. From what Chibiusa had said, her parents were in trouble—or at least her mother was. And despite the bravado she showed, Usagi could tell that she had been through a lot, and it was wearing on her.

Motoki nodded solemnly. "Well, she seems to be in good hands."

'Thank you," Usagi said with a small smile. A customer showed up, and Motoki excused himself to go help.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Where was Chibiusa going to stay? She couldn't exactly tell her parents that Chibiusa was the daughter of a family friend who needed a place to stay; they'd know she wasn't. She needed to think of some explanation.

"Is something wrong?" Rei asked.

"Where is Chibiusa going to stay?" she said. "I can't tell my parents what I told Motoki… I'd like to keep her nearby, but I don't know how to convince my parents."

"Hmm… that is a dilemma," Makoto said with a frown.

"Rei, is there any way she could stay with you?" Usagi asked. "Just for a little while, until I figure out some way to convince my parents? The shrine is one of the safest places she could be."

"I…" Rei trailed off. "I don't know…"

"I can look after her," a voice said from behind.

Usagi froze. She'd recognize that voice anywhere. Slowly, she turned around, forcing a polite smile onto her face. "Mamoru-san. That's very generous of you to offer."

"It's no problem," he said. "I'm more than happy to help out."

Chibiusa had abandoned her drawing, and had drifted over to listen to the conversation. "Who's this?"

"This is… my friend," Usagi said. "Would you be okay staying with him for a couple days?"

"Why can't I stay with you?" she asked.

"You can," Usagi said. "Soon. I just need to check with my parents first. They can't know about where you're from… they wouldn't handle it very well, knowing you're from the 30th century. So I need to find an alternate explanation, okay? And then you can come stay with me."

"Okay," she said. She looked warily at Mamoru, but then stuck out her hand. "I'm Usagi. Chibiusa."

Mamoru smiled, and bent down to grab her hand. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Chibiusa. My name is Mamoru."

"I have to go now," Usagi said. "But I'll see you again soon, okay?"

"Okay," Chibiusa said, and nodded.

Before she could second-guess herself, Usagi leaned down, brushed aside Chibiusa's bangs and gave her a kiss on the forehead. It was odd, really… she wasn't normally like this. But there was something about Chibiusa that stirred up very protective, almost maternal, feelings inside Usagi.

* * *

Usagi walked back to her house slowly, trying to process all that had happened. In the space of 24 hours, a new enemy had appeared, two mysterious and hostile new Senshi showed up, Mamoru had broken up with her, and now she'd ended up caring for a child from the 30th century.

How had her life gotten upended so quickly? It was like the ground had been ripped out from beneath her feet, and suddenly she didn't know how to stand without falling. The things in her life that she thought were constants—her and Mamoru's relationship, knowing she was one of five powerful Senshi—were suddenly being challenged.

Shaking her head, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She had to be strong. Mature. There was a new enemy to fight, and she had to keep Chibiusa safe. She wasn't the same girl she had been a year ago, when she first discovered her identity as Sailor Moon. Not even close. She was stronger than that now, and she would hold herself together.

Usagi was so lost in her thoughts, that she almost didn't notice the youma until it was too late. It was giant and snake-like, and it was nearly upon her. She quickly darted to the side, but it was faster, and it sunk its teeth into her side.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she elbowed it in the eye, hard, hoping it would give her a chance to break away and transform. It was successful, as the youma released its teeth from her side as it howled in pain.

She ran off behind a tree, clutching her wounded side, as she pulled out her communicator.

"Guys, there's a youma downtown," she said. "Only a few blocks from the arcade."

"We'll be there in a minute," Ami promised. "Can you hold it off until we get there?"

"Yeah," Usagi said, wincing. She pulled her hand away from her side, and it came back sticky and bright with her blood. The youma had gotten her pretty deep.

But there was no time to think about that now. The youma would attack again any minute, and she had to be prepared.

"Moon Prism Power!" she called out her transformation phrase, and felt the power wash over her. The pain in her side diminished to a dull throb, and she ran out, ready to tackle the youma. She wouldn't be able to dust it now, it was still too strong. But she should be able to do some damage with her tiara anyways.

"Moon Tiara Action!" she sent the tiara flying, and it wrapped itself around the youma's body. The youma made a hissing noise, but easily shrugged the tiara off.

Sailor Moon swore. That hadn't done nearly as much damage as she'd hoped. She was just about to try her scepter, when a ball of light slammed into it.

Looking around, she found the two other Senshi standing there.

"Go now," the teal-haired one said. "We can handle it from here."

"No," she said. She wasn't leaving. This was _her_ city, _her_ fight, and if they wanted her to leave, they had better give her some answers.

"No?" the teal-haired Senshi said again, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

"I know enough," she said. "I know that I've fought off countless youma before. I know that I defeated Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. I know that this is a youma belonging to the Black Moon Clan, a group of magic users from the 30th century.

"I know that I have defended this city for the past year, and I know that through it all, I have never seen a glimpse of either of you, nor have I heard of two additional Senshi, if that is indeed what you are. So if you want me to leave, you better tell me who the hell you are, and give me a damn good reason why I should abandon this fight."

The two Senshi looked at each other, as Sailor Moon breathed heavily, the words having come out in a rush. She hadn't intended to go off like that, but her frustration at the trials of the past day had made her angry and confused, and she wasn't about to let two strangers push her around.

Before anyone had a chance to respond, the youma lashed out with its tail, nearly knocking the blonde Senshi off her feet. She snarled, and attacked.

"World Shaking!"

Sailor Moon watched as a ball of light came from the Senshi's hands, and hit the youma. She had to admit, much as she didn't like these two newcomers, they were quite powerful. But she was, too, and she wouldn't let them keep her out of this.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" she called out, and this finally did the trick, as the youma crumbled to dust. She looked at the other Senshi, daring them to reprimand her again for going against their orders to leave.

"I'm Sailor Uranus," the blonde Senshi said after a moment. She jerked her head towards her companion. "This is Sailor Neptune."

"So… you are Sailor Senshi, then?" Sailor Moon asked.

The teal-haired Senshi, Sailor Neptune, nodded. "Yes. We are Sailor Senshi, like you are, Sailor Moon."

"Why haven't I heard of you?" she said. "Why are you so determined to keep me from fighting? If you're Sailor Senshi, shouldn't you be fighting by our side?"

Sailor Uranus shook her head. "This fight doesn't concern you."

"Like hell," Sailor Moon spat out. "This is my city, and I'm sworn to protect it. I'd say it concerns me."

"You don't know what you're dealing with," Neptune said. "Uranus and I have been training for this for many years, we have dedicated our lives to this fight. We have made many sacrifices, and we are uniquely equipped to fight this battle."

"And I'm not?" Sailor Moon said. "What, do you think I defeated Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom by sitting around and twiddling my thumbs all day long? You have no idea the sacrifices I've made, or how hard I'm trained, so don't you dare lecture me about that."

Uranus shook her head in frustration. "You just don't get it. If you keep interfering, you'll only get people hurt. Leave the fighting to people who know what they're doing."

"Look around you!" she shouted, spreading her arms wide. "People are already hurt. Almost every single day, a youma attacks, and people get hurt. _That _is what I'm fighting to prevent, and there's no way you're going to convince me to stay away when innocent lives are on the line."

The two new Senshi were silent. Sailor Moon turned to leave, but she stopped, and turned around.

"If you're so powerful, if you think you're so much better than me," she started to say, "Then tell me this: where were you last year, when the Dark Kingdom nearly succeeded in taking over the Earth? Where were you when I sacrificed _everything_ to defeat Queen Beryl and prevent her takeover of Earth? If I don't know what I'm doing, why is that _I_ am the one who prevented the apocalypse, while you two were nowhere to be found?"

Sailor Neptune and Uranus looked at each other, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah," Sailor Moon said, her anger gone, leaving her exhausted. "That's kind of what I thought."

"Sailor Moon!" Venus ran towards them, the other Senshi close behind. "Sorry it took us so long, there was another youma attack on the way here." Pausing, she looked around. "Uh… where's the youma? And what are they doing here?"

"The youma's gone," she said, her voice tense. "I dusted it. And now I'm going home."

"But…" Mercury tried to say, glancing at her wounded side.

"I'll take care of my injury," she said. "I'll be fine."

With one last look at Neptune and Uranus, she shook her head, and walked off.

* * *

A short time later, after having de-transformed, Usagi arrived at her house. She climbed the steps two at a time, eager to be in the safety and comforts of her home. Now that she was back in civilian form, her wounded side was much more painful.

Sighing, she quickly snuck upstairs to take care of it before anyone noticed. She barricaded herself in the bathroom, and peeled off her bloodied shirt. It was doubtful she'd be able to get the blood out, but she had to try. She was out of excuses for why her school clothes kept on ending up bloodied and torn, and she was worried her mother might get suspicious.

Usagi reached into the medicine cabinet, and pulled out the bandages. Wincing, she wished she had let Ami tend to her wound after all. She knew basic first aid care, of course, all the Senshi had learned it. But Ami was better than anyone at dressing wounds.

She tossed her shirt into the sink, rinsing the blood out as best she could. There was still a noticeable stain; she'd have to bleach it. She tossed it into the laundry basket, so she wouldn't forget, and went to her room to grab a clean shirt.

After she was dressed, she sunk onto her bed, and grabbed one of her favorite comic books. She tried to focus, but her mind was racing a million miles per minute. So, the newcomers were indeed Sailor Senshi. But why were they so determined to keep her from fighting? Was it really just because they thought they were superior? Or was there something else going on?

Usagi rubbed her eyes. None of it made any sense. And the Black Moon Clan… what did they want? Were they after Chibiusa, like Luna suspected? So far, aside from random youma attacks and a vaguely threatening message from one of their henchmen, they hadn't done much. Certainly not enough to indicate what it was they wanted. She was still mulling over all these new developments, when her door opened.

"Usagi," Ikuko said, her voice tight and strained. She was holding up Usagi's bloodied shirt. "Would you care to explain what this is, and why it's in the laundry basket?

* * *

**AN: Ooops, another cliffie… I don't usually end all my chapters with cliffhangers, I swear! It's just… kinda happened. Anyways, please leave a review with any thoughts/comments about the story. :) Reviews make the world go 'round!**


	4. The Black Moon Clan

**AN: Another relatively quick update! I don't want to curse it, but this story has practically been writing itself, so assuming the next chapter of A Life Once Forgotten goes as planned (and that should be easy to write, too) I should have chapter 5 of this story up in no time! For now, here's a slightly longer than usual chapter. :)**

**As always, many thanks to my amazing reviewers: , lilymoon80, Bin82501, maryyorke, and slightlyxjaded. I asked for more reviews, and lo and behold, I got them! You guys rock.**

* * *

Usagi stared in shock at the bloodied shirt in her mother's hand. She had never expected her mother to find it, she thought she would be able to bleach it or throw it away before her mother ever found out. "It's not what it looks like."

"Really?" Ikuko said, her voice shaking. "So would you like to explain what it is? Because it looks like there's a lot of blood on my daughter's shirt, but surely she would have no reason to get so injured, right?"

"Blood?" Usagi forced out a little chuckle. "Don't be so melodramatic, mama. It's just… some dirt stains. I was goofing around, and slipped on a patch of mud."

"Don't lie to me, Usagi," Ikuko said, her voice low and harsh. "Because it's not just the shirt. Why is it that all of a sudden strange memories are coming back to me? I remember you sneaking out of the house at all hours of the night, and coming back bruised and bloodied. And… I remember a conversation we had. So what the hell is going on?"

Usagi shook her head. "If you remember that conversation, then you already know, don't you?" She had hoped that her mother would never regain the memory of the night when she finally told her the truth about who she was. She had hoped that maybe this time she could hide it better, and they could have a normal mother-daughter relationship.

And yet… at the same time, she was relieved. When she had finally told her mother the truth, it was a relief to know that she didn't have to hide it anymore.

"No," Ikuko said firmly. "That is not a possibility."

"Mama…" Usagi broke off, wearily. Her mother had resisted the truth back then, too. She winced, slightly, remembering the last words her mother had said to her before she went off to face Queen Beryl and certain death: "If you leave this house, don't even think about ever coming back!"

"How?" Ikuko said, her voice breaking. "How is it possible? Are… are you really Sailor Moon?"

"I am," Usagi said. "And it's not something I can change."

"But that can't be possible…" Ikuko trailed off, her voice barely a whisper, as she thought it over, and Usagi knew the pieces of the puzzle were adding up in her mind.

Usagi's mysterious disappearances, her injuries, her sudden maturity combined with the burden of responsibility… and most of all, the night when a youma had attacked their home, and Usagi had disappeared right when Sailor Moon showed up. It all made sense.

"Mama…" Usagi bit her lip. She had an idea on how to solve one of her current problems, but she didn't want to push her mother too far. "I know this is hardly the time to ask for a favor, but… there's a little girl who needs my help. She's very far away from home, and we think the enemy might be targeting her. She needs a place to stay, and well… she'd be safest with me. With us."

Ikuko rubbed her eyes, and didn't say anything. When she finally spoke, her voice was weary. "What am I supposed to tell your father and brother?"

"I don't know," Usagi said. "Think of something? You could say she's the daughter of… an old high school friend of yours. And her parents were in an accident, and she needs a place to stay." It was the same story she'd used on Motoki, which would make things easier.

"Okay," Ikuko said. "I guess I can't say no to Sailor Moon." She chuckled bleakly to herself and left the room. She paused briefly at the doorway, as if she was going to say something else, but she shook her head and walked out.

* * *

The tension in the house was too much for her, so Usagi decided to take a walk in the park to clear her head. After such a long time of relative peace and stability, all these new changes were happening so quickly, and it made her head hurt. The mental list of all the crazy things happening in her life just got a little longer, with the addition of her mother knowing her true identity.

Would Ikuko tell Kenji and Shingo? Usagi doubted it, but she wasn't sure. She wasn't even sure if she wanted her father and brother to know or not. Of course, she knew that the less people who were aware that she was Sailor Moon, the better, because there was less of a chance the enemy could find out. And it wasn't just for her sake.

If the enemy discovered her identity, they wouldn't hesitate to use her friends and family to hurt her. Jadeite had tried in the past, and he had nearly succeeded. If her family were to be killed because of her… it would break her. Which was why it was best that Kenji and Shingo never know. It was bad enough that Ikuko knew.

"Yo! Odango!"

Usagi heard the voice, and for a split second, she thought of Mamoru. But of course it wasn't him. It didn't sound like his voice, and he hadn't called her Odango in ages, anyways. Now, he always called her Usako. Or at least, he used to. Her heart twinged painfully, and she shoved the memory away.

Indeed, jogging up to her was not Mamoru, but Haruka. Michiru was following close behind.

"Haruka-san," Usagi said, smiling. "Michiru-san. What brings you here?"

"Enjoying the beautiful day of course!" Haruka said with a grin, as she slung her arm around Usagi's shoulders. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out here by herself?"

Michiru sighed and rolled her eyes at Haruka's blatant flirting with Usagi.

"Um, I was just out here to clear my head," she said, shrugging off Haruka's arm. She liked Haruka, and Michiru seemed nice, too, but she was worried that the teal-haired girl might get the wrong idea.

Michiru smiled. "We were just about to go grab a bite to eat at the Crown Arcade and Fruit Parlor. Would you care to join us?"

Before Usagi had a chance to respond, she heard her name being called. Looking over, she saw Chibiusa running towards her, with Mamoru jogging to keep up with her.

"Hi," Usagi said with a smile as Chibiusa flung her arms around her waist. "What have you been up to since I left?"

"Mamoru bought me dumplings from the stand over there," the little girl said excitedly, pointing to a cart further along the path.

"I'm glad you're having fun," she said. Mamoru walked up beside Chibiusa, and Usagi stiffened. "Thank you for looking after her, Mamoru-san."

"Of course," he said, equally stiff. "It was my pleasure."

"And who would this be?" Michiru asked, smiling at Chibiusa.

"My name's Usagi," Chibiusa said, before Usagi could introduce her. "Chibiusa for short. Who are you?"

Usagi chuckled. She was glad the girl was becoming a little less shy, but her manners could use some work. Luckily, Michiru didn't seem to mind the slightly rude question.

"My name is Michiru Kaio," she said.

Haruka eyed Mamoru suspiciously. "I don't believe we've been introduced. Haruka Tenoh. And you are?"

"Mamoru Chiba," he said. "How do you know Usagi-san?"

"Oh, we go way back, " Haruka said with a grin, slinging her arm around Mamoru's shoulders again. "How do you know her?"

"Usagi-san is…" Mamoru trailed off, his lips drawn together. "… an old friend."

"Really?" Haruka drawled. "Must not be very close."

Mamoru opened his mouth to say something, but Usagi interrupted. "Actually, it was so nice running into you Haruka-san, Michiru-san, but I'm afraid I really should be going." She turned to Chibiusa. "I'm still working out some details, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Do you need a ride anywhere?" Michiru asked.

"Actually, yes," Usagi said. "A ride would be wonderful. Would it be too inconvenient for you to drop me off at the Hikawa Shrine?"

"Of course not," Michiru said, and then crouched so she was eye level with Chibiusa. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Chibiusa, and I hope we meet again soon."

The little girl smiled and nodded, but clung on to the leg of Mamoru's pants. Like with earlier in the arcade, Usagi bent down and quickly brushed a kiss on the girl's forehead, before she had the chance to second-guess herself.

* * *

"So, who's that Mamoru Chiba guy?" Haruka asked when they were in the car.

"He's my boy—" she started to automatically say, before she stopped to correct herself. "He's my ex-boyfriend."

"Ah, so that explains it," Michiru said. "I could tell there was a lot of tension between you two, you didn't seem like old friends."

"Yeah…" Usagi trailed off, looking out the window. "I guess we're not. I thought we were, but…" she shook her head sadly, not sure what else there was to say.

"So, does that mean you're single?" Haruka said, turning around with a wink. "I seem to recall you saying you had a boyfriend when we met at the Arcade."

Usagi gave a half-hearted smile. "He'd just broken up with me. I guess it hadn't really sunk in yet."

"Men," Haruka said with disgust. "You should just forget about them all together."

Usagi laughed, a genuine laugh that surprised her. She barely knew Haruka or Michiru, and yet there was something about them that made her feel at ease, as if she could talk to them about anything.

"Well, you seem like a lovely girl, Usagi, so I'm sure you'll find someone else," Michiru said, giving Usagi a warm smile. "And if he couldn't appreciate what he had, then perhaps he doesn't deserve you."

"Thank you," Usagi said. She appreciated their kindness, she really did. But the problem was she didn't _want_ to find someone else. All she had ever wanted was Mamoru. A part of her felt silly for feeling that way, as she was just a fourteen-year-old girl, and it was hardly expected of her to be with her boyfriend forever.

Most girls her age, if they had a boyfriend, would likely only date him for a few months, maybe a year, before breaking up and finding someone new.

But she and Mamoru were different. They had loved each other in their past lives, and once they found each other in this life, she had never doubted that they would be together forever. She couldn't imagine herself with anyone other than Mamoru. Which was why this breakup just didn't make any _sense_. She had been so sure Mamoru felt the same way.

"Usagi?" Michiru said, and Usagi realized she'd zoned out.

"Oh, sorry!" she said. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking about Chibiusa," Michiru said. "She seems like a lovely girl. Is she a relative of yours? A sister, perhaps?"

Usagi shook her head. "No, Chibiusa is the daughter of a close family friend. Her parents were in an accident, so she's staying with my family for a little while." She'd said the lie so many times by now that it almost sounded convincing.

"How unfortunate!" Michiru remarked. "But she seems to be in good hands."

"Thank you," Usagi said. "She's been through a lot… but she still remains positive. It's nice to have her staying with me." She smiled to herself, thinking about how true it was. She hadn't even known the girl for a full day yet, but there was something about her that made Usagi feel… calmer. More stable. Maybe it was just having a responsibility outside being Sailor Moon helped take her mind off the breakup, but she genuinely enjoyed having Chibiusa in her life.

"Well, here you are," Haruka said, pulling up outside of the Hikawa Shrine.

"Thank you so much for the ride," Usagi said, getting out of the car, and bowing slightly to show her thanks.

"No problem," Haruka said. "Take care of yourself, Odango."

Haruka and Michiru watched as Usagi walked up the main building of the shrine, and entered, disappearing from sight.

"There's something strange about that girl," Haruka said.

Michiru nodded. "The seas are stormy and wild. There is definitely something about her, and I sensed something similar around that little girl, Chibiusa."

"Do you think…" Haruka trailed off. "Do you think she could be the one we've been looking for?"

"Perhaps," Michiru said. After so long searching, it was tempting to believe they'd found her. "But we know very little about her. The only way to find out is to continue to befriend her and gain her trust."

Haruka nodded, looking at the shrine that Usagi had disappeared into. She could only hope…

* * *

Mamoru watched Usagi leave the park with a frown. He didn't like the looks of Haruka Tenoh. He seemed far too possessive of Usagi, and he had been downright rude. It pained him, thinking that perhaps Usagi had already moved on with Haruka. Of course, he was the one who broke up with her, and she had every right to move on, but… it pained him.

He would never stop loving her, even if he couldn't be with her. He shuddered, thinking what could happen if he and Usagi stayed together. The Black Moon Clan wouldn't hesitate to exploit any perceived weakness, just like the Dark Kingdom hadn't hesitated to brainwash him and turn him against Usagi.

If it happened again… if he ever hurt her again… he closed his eyes against the thought. The sounds of her screams were never far from his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw and _felt_ himself hurting her. Torturing her. Nearly killing her. She was the one person he couldn't bear hurting—she was Serenity, Sailor Moon, his Usako.

She was everything to him, which was why it was better this way. And perhaps it was better if she moved on, with Haruka or someone else. He could see how much he hurt her with this breakup, but it was better that than he be used as a tool against her again. He was her biggest weakness, and she his. It was better this way.

Mamoru was pulled out of his depressing thoughts as a small hand slipped into his. He looked down and saw Chibiusa looking up at him, concern and curiosity in her eyes.

"Sorry," he said. "I guess I got a little lost in my thoughts. But I'm all yours now."

"What's going on between you and Usagi?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Mamoru asked. "There's nothing going on. We're friends."

"You always act so tense around each other," she said. "And you seem really unhappy whenever she's brought up, but whenever you see her, you can't look away from her."

"I…" Mamoru trailed off. He hadn't realized how much Chibiusa had noticed. She was so young, he had assumed she was oblivious to his complicated relationship with Usagi. "We recently broke up," he admitted. "We used to date."

"Why did you break up if you still love her?"

Mamoru stared at her in disbelief.

"I may be six, but I'm not an idiot," Chibiusa said, sticking her nose in the air. "It's kind of obvious."

Mamoru smiled. "I know you're not an idiot. Usagi and I broke up, because… well, it's complicated. But some bad things happened, and it's best if we're not together."

Chibiusa didn't look like she believed him, but she didn't say anything.

"Now, come on, let's go back to my apartment," Mamoru said. "I'll set up a room for you."

Chibiusa nodded, and they walked off towards Mamoru's apartment together, hand in hand.

* * *

They arrived at the apartment a short while later, and Mamoru made a mental note to go out and buy some books or toys or something. His apartment wasn't very kid-friendly; it was mainly filled with medical textbooks. He had barely finished setting up a bed for Chibiusa when he heard a loud crash outside the building.

"Stay here," Mamoru said to Chibiusa as he rushed out the door.

Outside the apartment complex was a youma. Mamoru cursed, and pulled out his cellphone.

He didn't have a specialized communicator like the Senshi, but he did have the phone numbers for Ami, Makoto, Rei and Minako, in case of emergency. And, of course, Usagi. He hesitated for a split second, wondering which of them to call. He settled on Ami. She was the most rational; she wouldn't let his breakup with Usagi interfere with business.

"Mamoru," she said as she picked up. He tone was cool and icy, but at least she was listening. "What do you want?"

"There's a youma right outside my apartment complex," he said. "Chibiusa's inside."

"We'll be there in a minute," Ami said, and hung up.

Mamoru observed the youma, analyzing it before making a move. It was very nimble and quick on its feet, and it was humanoid, with purple skin, long razor-sharp claws, and a tail, which seemed to be made out of fire.

He was just about to attack, or at least draw its attention away from the civilians, when a ball of lightning hit it. The youma screamed in pain, and turned to see who had attacked it. The Sailor Senshi had arrived.

"We were nearby," Jupiter said, seeing Mamoru's look.

He nodded, and slipped away to transform. The Senshi could take care of themselves, but he wanted to be ready, in case something happened.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chibiusa was curious as to what was going on. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear screaming, and lots of loud crashes and bangs. She knew Mamoru had told her to stay inside the apartment… but surely it couldn't hurt to just peek outside, right?

She hopped up off the couch, and carefully crept out to the hallway. She paused a moment at the front door of the building, but then she opened it and wandered outside. There was some kind of ugly monster, and the Sailor Senshi were fighting in. She wanted to see better, so she walked a little closer. The monster turned its eyes on her, and she screamed.

"Chibiusa!" Sailor Moon cried out. The youma had turned its attention on Chibiusa, and wad advancing rapidly, its claws out, ready to impale her. She was rooted to the spot in fear. Sailor Moon took off running, faster then she knew she could.

She launched herself in the air, and flung her arms around Chibiusa, knocking her aside. The youma's claws raked down Sailor Moon's back, and she cried out in pain. Beneath her, the little girl was shaking, but she seemed unharmed.

"Are you okay?" Sailor Moon asked.

Chibiusa nodded tearfully.

"Go back inside the apartment," she said, wincing as she sat up. "Run as fast as you can, okay? We'll hold off the youma. Go NOW!"

Chibiusa scrambled out from underneath Sailor Moon, and she ran off into the building, not looking back.

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen rushed to her side. "You're wounded."

Sailor Moon resisted the urge to say something mean. Of _course_ she was wounded, that wasn't a particularly clever observation.

"Move aside," Sailor Mercury said brusquely, pushing away Tuxedo Kamen's hands. "I'll handle this. You go… do something useful."

Tuxedo Kamen frowned as Mercury crowded him out, but he didn't say anything. He still hovered, anxiously, not wanting to leave Sailor Moon when she was injured.

"The wounds don't look too terrible," he muttered with a sigh of relief. "But she is bleeding a lot."

"Go away!" Mercury's voice was harsh. "You're not helping anything by standing here and hovering like an idiot."

"You can't just order me away!" he said. "She's injured, she needs help!"

Mercury gave him a scathing look. "Really? I couldn't tell. I am trying to help her, and you are keeping me from doing that!"

Sailor Moon groaned. "Just go away. You're giving me a headache." She struggled to her feet, despite protests from both Tuxedo Kamen and Mercury.

"You said it yourself, they're not very terrible wounds," she said to Tuxedo Kamen. "I'll be fine. I need to finish off this youma."

Jupiter and Venus were dueling it out with the youma, while Mars took to helping the injured civilians, since Mercury was preoccupied with Sailor Moon.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" she called out, and the youma turned to dust. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she fainted from the combination of blood loss from her injury and energy loss from the use of the scepter. Tuxedo Kamen caught her just before she hit the ground.

* * *

"Perhaps we underestimated her," Neptune said, watching from afar. "She seems like a capable warrior."

"Perhaps," Uranus said. "But I still don't think we should join forces. You know what the costs of this battle could be. The Black Moon Clan isn't an ordinary foe. Do you really think Sailor Moon is ready to sacrifice anything in order to defeat them?

"Hmm," Neptune said. She was quiet after that.

"You're thinking about what she said the other day, aren't you." Uranus knew her partner too well.

"Yes, I am," Neptune admitted. "It made a lasting impression on me."

"True," Uranus said. "But she's so young. She's barely more than a child! I still don't think joining forces would be a good idea. It will only distract us from our end mission."

"You do have a point. Joining with these Sailor Senshi could hold us back, which is why I'm not suggesting we join forces. At least, not yet. It's just something to think about, yes?" she held a hand out to her partner with a smile.

"I'll think about it," Uranus said, and accepted Neptune's outstretched hand.

* * *

Far off in the palace of the Black Moon Clan, Prince Demande sighed dreamily as he gazed into his crystal ball. Neo-Queen Serenity… she was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes upon.

He had hoped that after successfully taking over Crystal Tokyo, he might be able to sway her to his side, and convince her to love him. Or at least hypnotize her into believing she was in love with him, he didn't much care as long as she was by his side.

But unfortunately, the attack on Crystal Tokyo hadn't gone as planned. The Queen was now in a coma, a good portion of his youma had been defeated, the Silver Crystal was nowhere in sight, and the little brat of a princess had disappeared. The plan had been to take over Crystal Tokyo, killing the royal family, with the exception of Neo-Queen Serenity, and stealing the Silver Crystal to use as a power source for Nemesis and the Black Moon Clan.

"Prince Demande!" Rubeus, a powerful member of the Black Moon Clan, entered the throne room. "I have some good news, my liege."

"Hmm?" Demande tore his gaze away from the crystal ball, and Neo-Queen Serenity.

"I believe I have located the energy signature of the pesky Rabbit," Rubeus said. "There was a large spike earlier this afternoon, in downtown Tokyo."

"That is indeed good news!" Demande said. "Double our efforts to find her and kill her."

"My liege…" Rubeus hesitated. "She seems to be under the care of Sailor Moon."

"Perfect," Demande said, a smile growing on his face.

"But my liege… it might be harder to kill her than we thought."

Demande waved him away. "Double our efforts to find the Rabbit and kill her. Sailor Moon will not pose a problem."

His smile grew. He turned back to his crystal ball, and called up an image of Sailor Moon. She was so like Neo-Queen Serenity… indeed, there were rumors that Sailor Moon _was _Neo-Queen Serenity. He may not have been able to win over Neo-Queen Serenity or Crystal Tokyo, but he would try harder this time. He would be better prepared.

He would capture 21st century Tokyo, and he would make the young version of Neo-Queen Serenity his bride. And he would _not_ fail.

* * *

**AN: If you're wondering about Usagi's previous conversation with Ikuko about being Sailor Moon, or the attack on her family that Usagi mentioned, that's in the prequel, Changes. :)**

**Please review!**


	5. Tension

**AN: Wow. That is all I have to say. _Wow!_ I am completely blown away by the amazing response for last chapter- 8 reviews?! I am absolutely thrilled with the response I got, you guys rock.**

** , CherrySerenity-sama, SageMcGavin, Bin82501, maryyorke, Taeniaea, lilymoon80, and slightlyxjaded\- you guys have made my week. Much love to all.**

* * *

"Could we get a little cover here, Mercury?" Sailor Moon snapped, dodging a blow.

"Working on it!" the blue-haired Senshi said, bringing her elbow up to block a hit from the youma. "Shabon Spray!" A cool mist settled over the area, blocking the Senshi from the youma's view.

Or at least, it was supposed to. Instead, the youma seemed to have no difficulty seeing through the mist, and it swung a clawed hand towards the Senshi. Growling, Sailor Moon pulled out her scepter to parry the blow. This particular youma seemed to favor brute force over magic, and it was making the Senshi rely more on their physical attacks.

Sailor Mars managed to break away from the fray, and conjured up her fire. "Burning Mandala!"

It hit the youma, but it seemed to have little effect. The youma, a lizard-like creature with tough, scaly skin and long claws on its hands, swung out at Sailor Mars, digging its claws into her shoulder. The fire Senshi cried out in pain, and fell to the ground, clutching her wounded shoulder.

Snarling, Sailor Moon twirled the Moon Scepter in her hands like a baton, and hit the youma with it. "Mercury, go tend to Mars!"

Mercury rushed off to aid the wounded Mars, and Jupiter, who had been hanging back and trying to get a shot at the youma with her lightning, fell in to fill the gap Mercury had left.

"Crescent Beam!" Venus tried, but it barely seemed to do any damage. The tough skin on the youma was making it difficult for any of their attacks to work successfully.

"Mercury, have you had a chance to scan it for weaknesses?" Sailor Moon asked.

The blunette looked up from where she was bandaging Mars' wound, and shook her head. "I scanned it earlier but there are none. Its thick, scaly skin is a very effective armor. If you can manage to pierce it, the youma is weak underneath, but it will be difficult to pierce its skin."

"Okay," Sailor Moon said to herself. "Focus." At least Chibiusa was out of danger. They'd been out for a walk in the park, as Chibiusa wanted to go feed the ducks in the pond, and enjoy the nice day. The moment the youma appeared, Usagi had told her to run as fast as she could to the Arcade. She'd be safe there.

"Jupiter and Venus, fall back and focus all your energy on the magic attacks," she said. "If you combine attacks, perhaps we'll be able to pierce its skin."

"What about you?" Jupiter asked.

"I'll keep attacking it from here," she said, dodging another blow. This one caught her in the side, though, and she winced. Luckily it hadn't seemed to do much more damage than a scrape. Glancing down at her side, there was only a slight trickle of blood.

Jupiter and Venus obeyed her command, and fell back, combining their attacks, again and again, trying to pierce the youma's skin, but to no avail. The youma remained unaffected by their attacks.

Tired of being on the defensive, Sailor Moon swung her scepter up, hitting the youma in the face. She thrust forward, swinging and jabbing, dodging blows and pushing the youma back. As she fought, she felt nothing but the wind in her hair and the sweat trickling down her neck. It was as if the world had slowed down, and she expertly parried the youma's blows with her own. All she knew was this fight, all she could see was the youma, all her senses her focused on one thing: this fight.

But then the trance shattered, as the youma successfully blocked one of her blows, and knocked her to the ground. It dove towards her, its claws aimed right towards her neck, but she threw up her scepter to block the blow. She could hear the Senshi shouting, trying to attack, and rushing forward, but the youma still pressed on.

Grunting from the force it took to hold the youma back, Sailor Moon felt her arms shaking with the effort, and her grip on the scepter loosening slightly as her arms started to give out. She slipped a little, and the youma's claws pressed against her throat. She knew that if she slipped even another centimeter, the claws would pierce her throat. She could hear the Senshi's attacks hitting the youma, but the youma was relentless in its attack, and for a moment, she felt truly scared. Was she going to die like this?

A red rose pierced the youma's hand, and the pressure against Sailor Moon's scepter suddenly released, as the youma fell back. Snarling, Sailor Moon yanked the scepter up and jammed it into the underside of the youma's body, finding it less armored than the rest.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" she called out, and the youma finally turned to dust, and she fell to her knees.

"Are you alright?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, reaching a hand out to help her out.

"Fine," she said, ignoring his hand, and standing up by herself.

"How's your neck?" he asked, reaching a hand up to her throat. The youma's claws had just started to pierce her skin, and there was a red mark on her neck where the claws had been moments before.

"I'm fine," she snapped, swatting his hand away. She frowned, and paused. "Thanks," she added after a moment. "For saving my life."

"Of course," he said. "Look, I know things are… awkward between us, but—"

She cut him off. "I need to go check on Mars." Talking with him was the last thing she wanted to do right now. As she stalked off to check on her wounded teammate, she could hear him following her.

"Are you just going to walk away?" he called after her.

She spun back to face him, her eyes narrowing in anger. "Was there something else I was supposed to do? Fall into your arms? Thank you profusely for saving me from the big, scary youma? Things are different between us now, Mamoru, you've made that pretty clear."

His lips flattened into a line. "I know that. But…" he trailed off. "You should at least be more careful."

"More careful?" she threw her hands up in the air and turned her back to him, walking over towards the other Senshi.

"Yes, more careful!" he said, hurrying to keep up with her. "You were nearly killed today, Usagi!"

"So?" she turned to face him again. "I am nearly killed most days. It kind of comes with the territory of being a superheroine who has to defend Tokyo from evil forces that want to take over the world."

"That doesn't mean you can be reckless!" he shouted. "If I hadn't intervened, you would have died! Which, by the way, brings me to my next point." He turned to face the Senshi "Where the hell were you? Your job is to protect her, to keep her from harm, so why was it she was pinned down by a youma, seconds away from being impaled?"

"Hey!" she yelled at him. "Don't you dare talk to them like that. They are _my_ Senshi, _my_ team. You made it pretty clear you don't want to be involved with me, so you don't get to boss around my teammates. They were all doing their best."

"Well, their best isn't good enough!" he shouted, shaking her by the shoulders. "_You nearly died_. How does that not bother you?"

"Of course it bothers me," she said, shaking off his hands. "But I also know that it's not anyone's fault. These youma are more powerful than what we faced with the Dark Kingdom. We're all trying our hardest, but things like this happen."

He shook his head but didn't say anything else as he stalked off. Sighing, Sailor Moon turned her attention towards her Senshi, trying to push their argument out of her head. She had more pressing matters to worry about.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the Senshi had de-transformed, and were heading back to the Arcade to retrieve Chibiusa, and also tend to Rei's wound more properly. Ami always had emergency first aid with her on the battlefield, so she had bandaged Rei's shoulder the best she could, but there were better medical supplies at their base.

"I should really take a look at your wounds, too, Usagi," Ami said.

Usagi rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Ami. It barely scratched me. Rei is the only one we should be worrying about."

"Hmmph," Ami made a small noise of dissent. Clearly, she disagreed, but Usagi thought she worried too much. The Senshi were always getting injured, it came with the job. They had all learned to deal with their minor injuries, and Usagi didn't want to take up any more of Ami's energy. She worried that the blue-haired girl overworked herself sometimes. She was always researching, or healing or fighting, she never relaxed.

"Everything okay with you and Tux-boy?" Minako asked. "I mean, aside from the usual."

Usagi sighed. "I don't know. I just don't get it. I mean, _he_ broke up with _me_, completely out of the blue, claiming he just didn't love me. But then with the way he acts…" she rubbed her temples. "It all gives me a headache. I don't really want to talk about it."

Minako was silent after that, and they arrived at the Arcade a short while later. The others headed for the base, while Usagi promised to join them soon, after she checked up on Chibiusa.

"Hey there," Usagi said, finding Chibiusa in a booth with a milkshake in one hand, and some crayons in the other.

"You're back!" the little girl smiled brightly. "Can we go feed the ducks now?"

Usagi chuckled. "Not right now. But soon, okay? I promise."

The girl's face fell. "Okay."

"We can go tomorrow," Usagi said. "But for right now I need to go take care of something. I just wanted to check up you first, to see if you needed anything."

Chibiusa shook her head. "I'm okay. Motoki onii-san gave me a free milkshake, and some crayons to draw with. I like him."

Usagi smiled at her affectionate nickname for the blonde arcade worker. "Onii-san, huh? You know, that's what I call him sometimes, too."

"I guess that makes us sort of like sisters," the girl said shyly. "If he's both of our big brothers."

"I guess it does," Usagi said. She definitely felt a strong connection to the little girl, although it didn't quite feel sisterly. She shook her head. She didn't have time to dwell on that right now. In what was now becoming a habit, Usagi leaned down, and gave the girl a kiss on her forehead.

"Will you be back soon?" Chibiusa asked.

"Very soon," Usagi promised.

* * *

"Why weren't those other Senshi there?" Rei was saying as Usagi walked down into their command center. "Much as I hate to say it, we could have really used their help."

"Clearly we can't rely on them," Usagi said. She had hoped that their conversation—argument, really—when she told them off for always condescending her and doubting her abilities might have changed things. Rei was right, they _could_ really have used the help of the older Senshi. Not just earlier today, but in general. Clearly, the Black Moon Clan was a force to be reckoned with.

"We'll just have to be stronger," she continued. "So we don't need to rely on them to help out."

"I've been researching, but aside from knowing that they're a group of magic users from the 30th century, and have their sights set on Chibiusa, I'm afraid there isn't much I can discover," Ami said.

"It's okay," Usagi said, blowing her bangs out of her face. "We'll figure something out. Rei, how's your shoulder?"

"It's not too bad," she said, rolling her shoulder a bit to test it out. "I'll have a limited range of motion for a little while, and I can't lift anything heavy with it, but it's not too bad. Good thing I heal fast."

"Today was close," Makoto said. "_Too_ close. I don't like it. I don't like not knowing anything about the Black Moon Clan, I don't like having to rely on other Senshi to help us out. And we can't even rely on them, because they don't always show up! Ami, are you sure there isn't anything else you can do?"

"I'll try," she said. "I have been trying, anything I can think of, and I'll keep trying. But I don't know if we can approach this in a clinical, carefully thought out manner. We might just have to go at it with brute strength."

"Maybe so," Usagi said with a sigh. "I don't like it, either, but we might have to deal with not knowing." She dropped into a chair, and winced slightly as her wounded side pressed against the side of the chair.

"Let me have a look at it," Ami said. Usagi opened her mouth to protest, but Ami fixed her with a flat glare, and she relented.

"Fine." Grumbling, she went over to the medical section of their secret base, and let Ami pull up her shirt to treat the wound.

"I told you, it's just a scratch," Usagi said.

"It's true, the wound isn't very deep," Ami said, almost to herself, as she examined the claw marks. "But it looks like it's in danger of becoming infected. You really should have let me look at it earlier," she chided gently. "I don't know why you insist on being so stubborn."

Usagi rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything as Ami cleaned the wound and bandaged it. She insisted on being stubborn because she didn't want her friends to worry about her. All of them already had so much on their plate; they shouldn't have to worry each time she got a minor injury. It was part of the job.

* * *

Mamoru paced around his apartment, trying to resist the urge to punch something. Usagi had come far too close to death today for his liking. Of course, if he had his way, she wouldn't ever be in danger, but he knew that was inevitable, it was part of being Sailor Moon. And he knew she was perfectly capable, but… sometimes she put herself in danger to protect her friends.

It was a quality he both loved and hated. And she had always been like that, it wasn't anything new, but it had been simpler before. Before he'd broken up with her and broken both their hearts in the process. When he saw her pinned down by that youma, the claws pressed right against her throat, her strength obviously fading from the effort of holding it off… if anything happened to her… no. He would never let that happen.

_Of course_, a small part of his brain whispered, _it would be easier if you were together. If Usagi trusted you and loved you, you could better protect her._

"Dammit dammit dammit." He punched the wall in frustration. At least now his aching hand and the hole in his wall gave him something to focus on. He couldn't be with Usagi, because he was a danger to her. He had promised himself he would never let her be hurt, but how was he supposed to keep that promise if _he_ was the one doing the hurting?

It had been all too easy for the Dark Kingdom to brainwash him and turn him against her. And despite all of her claims that she was okay, that she knew it wasn't him who had been attacking, he knew it deeply disturbed her. He could never let something like that happen again. He could barely live with himself as is.

* * *

_His hands caressed her skin as he leaned down to kiss her. She sighed, melting into his body, her fingers curling in his long white hair._

"_I've missed you," she said. "And I was starting to get worried. Where have you been?"_

_He didn't respond, but his hands tightened around her arms, to the point of pain._

"_You're hurting me!" she said. She looked up, and gasped at what she saw. His eyes were blank and cold, completely devoid of any emotion. He threw her to the ground, and she cried out in pain, but it wasn't from the force of hitting the ground._

"_Why are you doing this?" she cried. "Please, don't you recognize me?"_

_Again, he didn't say anything as he kicked her. "I know exactly who you are, you filthy Senshi," he said finally._

_She lay on the ground, curled in a ball as she sobbed and he attacked her. But no. She was stronger than this. She wouldn't let him defeat her, not so easily. With his next swing, she reached up and blocked it, stumbling to her feet._

"_There must be some part of you still left in there," she said. "Please."_

"_I am a warrior of the Dark Kingdom," he said. "That is who I am, all that I am."_

_Closing her eyes for a moment, she knew what had to be done. She opened her eyes and lunged forward, attacking, but he parried every blow. They grappled for several minutes, before she got close enough to embrace him._

"_You have to remember," she whispered, burying her face in his neck. "I can't survive without you. _Please_!" She gasped, stumbling backward, as she felt the sword slide between her ribs. She looked up at him, the only person she had ever given her heart to, as he drove the blade into her._

"_You've left me with no choice," she said. She pushed herself forward, crying out in pain as the sword dug in deeper. She wrapped her arms around him one last time, knowing she didn't have much time left. Her voice barely a whisper, she did what had to be done. "Crescent Beam." The world exploded in light and pain._

Minako woke with a gasp, clutching her beating heart. What was _that_? She'd been having dreams lately, about this mysterious white-haired man, but they had never been so… violent. Who _was_ he? And why was she dreaming about him?

* * *

**AN: I do hate to end on a cliffie, but well… oops. Any guesses as to who that mysterious man might be? Hmmm… ;-) Please keep being awesome and review!**


	6. Ultimatiums

**AN: Gahhh, you guys, I am so sorry. I don't know how it's been more than a month since I last updated. SORRY. Anyways, here is chapter 6, and chapter 7 should be a faster update.**

**Also, once again, I am blown away by the amazing reviews I got. Your support and excitement over this story means so much to me. lenabui98, Bin82501, slightlyxjaded, maryyorke,lilymoon80, and gabeliz. castillocarin, I love you all. (Also, apologies to gabeliz . castillocarin for not being mentioned in previous chapters, despite reviewing- for some reason the site edited out your name. Hopefully it's fixed now!)**

**Now, without further ado, chapter 6!**

* * *

"Artemis and I spent all last night exhausting our sources for information about the Black Moon Clan," Luna was saying at a Senshi meeting a few days later. "But there's nothing there, aside from what we already know. It's as if they don't exist."

Usagi sighed, leaning back on her elbows. "So, what are we supposed to do? We don't even know what they _want_. We think they maybe want Chibiusa, but we don't know why, and we're not even sure if they do. The youma might have attacked her the other day simply because she was there."

"This is all so frustrating," Rei complained. "How are we supposed to fight them if we know nothing about them?"

"Trial and error?" Makoto suggested. "Yeah, I know, not helpful."

"Statistically speaking, the fact that both Chibiusa and the Black Moon Clan are from the 30th century, and the fact that they showed up here right at the same time, suggests that they are connected," Ami said. "It seems likely that the Black Moon Clan is indeed targeting Chibiusa."

"Okay, let's say they are," Usagi said. "Then what? Why do they want her? She's a six-year-old kid, for crying out loud! And what happened in the future, which caused her to come back to now? How was her mother hurt? Who even _is_ her mother?"

"This is giving me a headache," Makoto complained. "Minako, what do you think?"

The blonde Senshi had been quiet the whole time, her legs tucked up under herself, as she stared off into space.

"Minako?" Makoto repeated, when she didn't respond.

"Oh, sorry!" Minako said, snapping to attention. "I wish I had something to offer, but I'm as lost as you are… I suppose the only thing we can do is try and talk to Chibiusa, see if she can tell us what's going on."

"Is everything okay?" Makoto asked. "You seem… distant. I'm used to Usagi-chan zoning out all the time, but it's unlike you."

Usagi rolled her eyes at the comment, but didn't say anything. She was also curious as to what Minako had to say, for now that Makoto had mentioned it, there was something a bit off with her…

"I'm fine," Minako said with a smile. "Really, it's nothing. It's just…"

"It's just…?" Rei prompted.

"Never mind," she said, shaking her head. "I just… have any of you been having weird dreams lately?"

"Weird dreams?" Makoto repeated. "No, I can't say that I have…" The other girls shook their heads as well.

"Just forget it," Minako said quickly. "It's nothing. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have zoned out like that."

"Well, moving on…" Usagi said hesitantly. "I'll try to talk to Chibiusa, but every time I bring up the subject of her mother, or the 30th century, she freezes up."

"Where is Chibiusa?" Ami asked. "Did you find a way to convince your parents to let her stay?"

"She's at my house," Usagi said. "Which reminds me… I kind of told my mom I'm Sailor Moon."

"Usagi!" Luna chided. "You know how dangerous that is. Family members have to be kept in the dark for a reason."

"I know, I know," she said. "But I didn't really have a choice. Right before the battle with Queen Beryl… she caught me sneaking out of the house, and I guess she got tired of my excuses for all the times I'd disappear at all hours of the night, and she confronted me about it."

Everyone looked at her expectantly, and she bit her lip nervously before continuing. "You have to understand, I thought I was going to die. I was so sure of it— I had just been told that the only way to defeat Queen Beryl was to use the full power of the Silver Crystal, and that doing so would kill me. So… I told her."

"But why would this only come up now?" Luna said. "When you lost your memories following the battle, I thought you said she didn't remember anything."

"She didn't at first," Usagi said. "But… I think it slowly started coming back to her, she just didn't want to remember. She didn't believe me when I first told her. She… she told me to never come back if I left the house.

"But then the other day, she found a bloodied shirt of mine, and confronted me about it. I knew I couldn't lie to her, especially not since she kind of already knew. So, I told her. Again. This time, I think she believed me, but she still hasn't talked to me much."

"I'm sorry, Usagi," Luna said. "I suppose I never stopped to think about how hard this must be on all you girls, having to keep secrets from your family."

Usagi shrugged. "It is what it is. I think she'll come around eventually; it will just… take some time. But my family's accepted Chibiusa nicely, so I don't have to worry about that anymore…" she trailed off, sighing, blowing her bangs out of her face. "What a crazy week this has been."

"Indeed," Rei said.

"I don't think there's much else for us to discuss," Luna said. "Usagi, see if you can get anything out of Chibiusa. We all need to be extremely vigilant, and see what we can discover about the Black Moon Clan. The more we know, the more we can keep this city safe."

The girls nodded in agreement, and the meeting disbanded, everyone going their separate ways.

* * *

Minako wandered through the shopping distract, absentmindedly looking at the various displays in the windows. What had gotten into her? Makoto was right; it wasn't like her to zone out in the Senshi meetings. She was the second-in-command, the leader when it came to protecting the Princess. The Senshi needed her to be alert and focused, she couldn't let these dreams throw her for a loop.

And yet… there was something about them. She felt such… _yearning_. Such a strong desire to be with this man, whoever he was. The mysterious white-haired man was all she dreamed about now.

Who was he? Why did he seem so… familiar to her? And were they even dreams, or were they something… more? Memories, perhaps? It's why she'd wanted to know if any of the other Senshi had been having odd dreams.

The details of her past life were still fuzzy. She knew that she was a princess of Venus, the leader of the Senshi, and sworn to protect Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom at any cost. She knew that the Prince and Princess had a tumultuous, star-crossed romance, that fate was against them, that they had both died, and they had been reincarnated to be together again.

She knew that the Moon Kingdom had been destroyed, that Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom had nearly won, and that Queen Serenity had used the full power of the Silver Crystal to send everyone to the future.

But… what of _her_? Was there someone she had loved in the past? Was this white-haired man someone from her past? And if he was, why was she only dreaming of him now? The seal on everyone's memories had broken when Sailor Moon was revealed as Princess Serenity, which had been quite some time ago.

Minako sighed, and shook her head. She needed to pull herself together. There was a new enemy they knew next to nothing about and a mysterious girl from the 30th century to worry about. And, much as she tried to hide it behind a façade of strength, Minako knew Usagi was still reeling from her break up with Mamoru.

There were so many things that required her attention; there was no time to worry about what her dreams might mean.

* * *

The sun was just starting to set as Usagi walked back to her house from the command center underneath the Arcade. Sighing, she tipped her head back to look at the sky. Why did everything in her life have to be falling to pieces _now_? Dealing with the Black Moon Clan, the new Senshi and the mystery surrounding Chibiusa was hard enough, but now her mother knew that she was Sailor Moon, and she just really wished she could talk to Mamoru about it.

There had been a time when he was her rock, when she could rely on him for anything. Her life had entered completely unfamiliar territory, and as much as her friends tried to be there for her, it wasn't the same.

A scream pierced the air, startling Usagi out of her thoughts. She never thought she'd be glad for a youma attack, but right now, anything to keep her mind off of Mamoru was a good thing.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

A moment later, Sailor Moon ran down the street, ready to face the youma. She could see it up ahead, attacking nearby civilians. It was humanoid, female in appearance, with spiked wings and what looked like a giant wasp stinger hanging as a tail.

"Hey!" she called out, and the youma turned to look at her. "I am Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice. I will not let you terrorize this city!"

The youma turned its attention towards her. It hissed, twitched its tail, and a barrage of stingers flew towards her.

"I really hate wasps," she muttered to herself as she dropped to the ground to avoid the stingers. She was in the process of pulling out her communicator to call the other Senshi, when a wave of water slammed into the youma.

"Are you alright?" the new blonde Senshi, Sailor Uranus, held out a hand.

"Fine," she said testily, ignoring the outstretched hand as she got to her feet and brushed the dirt from herself.

Sailor Uranus quirked an eyebrow at her brusqueness, but didn't say anything else. Instead, she turned her attention to the youma. "World Shaking!"

A ball of light erupted from her fingers and hit the youma dead on, where it screamed. As with before, Sailor Moon was impressed by her sheer power. Both of these new Senshi seemed very strong and capable, but she wouldn't let their power sway her. They had given her no indication that she could trust them or rely on them.

Summoning up her reserves of power, she pulled out the Moon Scepter, and focused on the youma. "Moon Scepter Elimination!"

"Not bad," Sailor Neptune remarked as she strode over towards where Sailor Moon and Uranus were standing.

"Not bad?" Sailor Moon repeated. "Look, I don't know who you two think you are, but you can't just show up whenever you feel like it, throw a few punches, make condescending remarks, and then just leave."

"And what makes you think you can dictate what we can and can't do?" Neptune replied coolly.

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes and stood a little taller. She would not let herself be bullied by these two newcomers. "I am Sailor Moon. For the past year I have fought to defend this city from the attacks of the Dark Kingdom, and now the Black Moon Clan threatens this city again. The fight is never easy, it is long and perilous, and the more people I have fighting alongside me, the more likely we are to win.

"However, I cannot fight beside people who I neither know nor trust. You two always show up when it's convenient to _you_, and you leave the hard tasks to me and my team. Where were you when youmas first started attacking this city? Where were you when we risked everything to infiltrate and take down the Dark Kingdom? Where were you a few days ago when a youma got the better of us, and I was very nearly killed? We could have greatly used your help in all these situations, but you were nowhere to be seen."

Drawing in a breath, she finished. "You have a great deal of power, and you are Sailor Senshi, just like me and my team. I know that if you joined us, it would make our fight against the Black Moon Clan that much easier. However, if you choose to remain how you are, if you refuse to offer help except for when it benefits you, if you refuse to tell me anything more about you, then I'm afraid I will have to treat you as hostile."

Uranus and Neptune exchanged a look. After a long moment, Neptune spoke. "We will consider your offer, Sailor Moon."

And with that, they left, leaving Sailor Moon standing in the streets of Tokyo as the sun fell below the horizon, leaving her in darkness.

* * *

"_Aphrodite…" his words were a caress on her skin, his breath gently falling on the back of her neck._

_Sighing, she turned in his arms to face him. "We can't keep meeting like this."_

"_And why not?"_

"_Someone will find out," she said. "They'll pull as apart. You know we can't be together."_

"_Don't think of that," he said. "The future might be uncertain, but right here, right now… it's just us. There's no one to tell us what's wrong or what's right, what we can and cannot do."_

"_I know." She closed her eyes in bliss, wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder. "But sometimes I worry."_

"_Shhh, shh…" he stroked her hair as she started to cry. "We will find a way, I promise. No matter what happens, I will always find my way back to you."_

"_Kunzite…" the words were barely a whisper, a silent declaration of love for this man who was her pillar of strength._

Minako woke with tears streaming down her face. And as the dream came back to her, she cried harder, gasping for air as she curled into a ball. For she knew now that it wasn't a dream, and as the memories came back to her, she wished she could forget again. _Kunzite_.

* * *

**AN: Please keep up your awesomeness and review! :)**


	7. Plotting and Dreaming

**AN: Gaahhh, you guys, I am SO sorry for the huge delay in update. Unfortunately, I've been super busy with the whole college application process, and additionally, a lingering cold has left me too wiped out. I will do my best to make the next update quicker.**

**As always, many thanks to my reviewers: Noizchild Johnson, MissFiyerabaMeponnieWholock, Sage McGavin, slightlyxjaded, lilymoon80, and gabeliz . castillocarin. You guys are the best.**

* * *

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and there was a rare moment of peace. Usagi sat on a park bench, happily licking an ice cream cone, while Chibiusa fed the ducks in the pond. Ami was reading a book under the shade of a tree, Makoto and Rei were chatting animatedly, and Minako sat next to Usagi, staring off into space.

Usagi frowned. There was something up with Minako, but she didn't know what. Lately, Minako had taken to zoning out during Senshi meetings, or whenever they were all hanging out together, and she frequently had a troubled look on her face. It bothered Usagi that whenever it was brought up, she just smiled and said it was nothing.

Didn't she trust her friends enough to tell them the truth? What was it that was so bad? Minako had always been the strong, mature one of the group. She had the most experience as a Sailor Senshi, she had already seen and done so much as Sailor V before she joined their team. If something was troubling _her_… Usagi didn't know what to do, or what to say. She just wanted her friend to look happy again.

"Yo! Usagi!"

Usagi looked up to find Haruka waving and walking towards them, Michiru following close behind.

"Haruka," Usagi said. "Michiru. How nice to see you again. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, we were just out for a walk in the park, soaking up some of this nice sunshine," Haruka said, flopping down on the bench to the other side of Usagi, and slinging her arm around her shoulder. "What brings you here?"

"Same as you, I suppose," Usagi said with a smile. "And, Chibiusa wanted to feed the ducks."

"You know," Haruka said. "I'm racing tomorrow afternoon, to celebrate the opening of the new race track. You should come!"

"Racing?" Usagi said. "I didn't know you were a racer."

Haruka smiled. "Yup, I'm a racecar driver. Come on, it will be fun! And I'll race better if I have some cute girls cheering me on from the sidelines."

"Haruka," Michiru sighed. "You are such a shameless flirt."

"And you love me for it," Haruka said with a grin. She got up off the bench and slung her arm around Michiru, who rolled her eyes.

"I really can't take you anywhere," Michiru mused. "No girls are safe when you're around."

"You know I only have eyes for you," Haruka said as she pulled Michiru in for a kiss.

Michiru rolled her eyes again as they parted, but she was smiling. "I know. We should be getting going, though."

"Come to race!" Haruka said, waving as they started walking off. "Think about it!"

Usagi settled back into the bench, finishing the remnants of her ice cream cone, and wondering what to think about Haruka and Michiru. They were nice and friendly, but… something seemed off about them. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about them gave her a weird vibe, and she didn't know what to make of it. She didn't think they were from the Black Moon Clan, they didn't seem like the enemy… but something was definitely strange about them.

She was about to turn to Minako, to see if she had any ideas, when a thick purple fog began to roll in.

"What the-?" Usagi's words were cut off as she started coughing.

"Youma!" Makoto forced out between coughs from the noxious fog.

"Chibiusa!" Usagi called. "Chibiusa, where are you?" The fog had covered the area so well, she could barely see more than a few inches in front of her.

"Over… here!"

Usagi ran towards the sound, stumbling over her own feet as she started to get light-headed from the poisonous gas. She stumbled across Chibiusa right as the youma made itself known.

"I've got you now!" it hissed to Chibiusa, and extended long knife-like claws towards her.

Usagi tackled Chibiusa to the ground as the girl screamed, barely avoiding the youma's claws herself. The scream broke off into a cough, and Usagi pulled her up.

"Chibiusa, listen to me," Usagi said, but Chibiusa was whimpering, and not listening to her. "Chibiusa! This is important." She shook the girl gently, and Chibiusa's sniffles stopped.

"You need to cover your mouth and nose and run as far away from here as you can, understand? Don't stop running until you get to the Arcade, you'll be safe there."

"What about you?" Chibiusa asked hoarsely.

"I'll be okay," Usagi said. "Now RUN!" She gave Chibiusa a push as the youma swung again, and the girl took off running.

Usagi felt dizzy and light-headed, and knew she needed to transform, fast. She had inhaled too much of the gas, and she would be better able to breathe once she transformed. She was always stronger in Senshi form.

Pulling out her brooch, she forced out the transformation phrase. "Moon… Prism Power…. Make Up!" A moment later, the transformation was complete, but she still felt dizzy and light-headed. Cursing, she tried to focus her energy on the youma. She should have taken better precautions about breathing in the fog, but her thoughts had been so focused on Chibiusa.

A blast of fire cut through the fog, and Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of relief. At least Mars was okay, and able to fight, and presumably the other Senshi were, too.

"Die already!" The youma jabbed its claws towards Sailor Moon, and she just barely managed to avoid it, stumbling more than ducking. When that attack failed, it opened its mouth, and more of the fog began to spill out.

Coughing, Sailor Moon tried to cover her mouth and nose and not inhale any more of it than she already had, but she had taken in a big lungful before she realized what was happening, and her vision was starting to get blurry and her head felt so, so heavy.

"Crescent Beam!" Venus' attack hit the youma and it howled in pain.

"Sailor Moon!" someone, perhaps Jupiter, called. Sailor Moon couldn't tell anymore, everything seemed so far away and fuzzy. Her lungs burned, and she could see the claws of the youma advancing towards her, but she couldn't think, couldn't move, and she started to fall to her knees…

All of a sudden she was airborne, someone holding her close. And the poisonous fog must have been making her hallucinate, because she could have sworn she felt someone tenderly brush aside her hair, and whisper her name. But not just her name—not Sailor Moon, not even Usagi. _Usako_. She thought she heard it again, but that was crazy. The only person who ever called her Usako was Mamoru and he… they… her thoughts were getting fuzzier, but all she knew was that Mamoru no longer called her Usako, and never would again.

"Mamo-chan…" the words escaped her lips, barely audible. She curled up against whoever was holding her, wanting to believe, just for a few moments, that it was Mamoru and he loved her again. She was hallucinating, surely, but at least she could enjoy it while it lasted.

The fog in her head began to clear, and she blinked, taking in her surroundings. She _was_ in Mamoru's arms, and his hands were on her, healing her, but his face was as impassive and stony as ever.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she said, sitting up stiffly, and sliding out of his reach. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said curtly. "Thank you for healing me, now I must get back to the fight." They were in a tree, high up enough that the air was clear, and she could see the battle going on below. Well, she couldn't actually see the Senshi or the youma, but every now and then a flash of lightning or a burst of fire cut through the fog, so she knew the Senshi were still fighting. She didn't know how much longer they would be able to last, though, the fog was so thick and omnipresent.

"Usagi—" Tuxedo Kamen started to say.

She turned back to look at him. "Yes?"

"I… never mind." He looked like he wanted to say more, but she didn't have time to coax it out of him, and she wasn't even sure if she cared what he wanted to say to her. It's not like anything he said would make a difference. Unless he gave her some explanation for the breakup, or some sort of apology, he would still be distant and cold. And he would still be her ex-boyfriend.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself off the branch, and landed on the ground, covering her mouth and nose with her hand to try and avoid breathing in more of the gas.

"Now, where is the stupid thing…" she muttered to herself. She just wanted to dust it and be done, but that was easier said than done when she couldn't see anything. All of a sudden, razor-sharp claws appeared out of the thick fog, nearly slicing her in half. Stumbling backward, Sailor Moon pulled out her scepter, in a hurry to dust the youma before it could land a hit.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" The attack hit the youma dead on, and it screamed once before crumbling away into nothing. With its death, the fog lifted at last, and Sailor Moon could see her friends huddled together a few feet away.

"Sailor Moon!" Venus cried out. "Thank Kami you're okay. We couldn't find you anywhere!"

"Are you guys okay?" she asked, coughing a little. Tuxedo Kamen hadn't completely healed her, and she had inhaled a bit more of the fog afterwards, despite her best efforts.

"We're fine," Mercury said. "I discovered that my mist could create a barrier between us and the fog, giving us a small pocket of fresh air to breathe. We were so worried when we couldn't find you. Are you alright?"

"Fine," she wheezed. At Mercury's disbelieving look she cleared her throat and spoke again. "Seriously, I'm fine. It was kinda close there for a bit, but… Tuxedo Kamen healed me."

Mercury muttered something about how he clearly didn't do a very good job, and Sailor Moon rolled her eyes. She appreciated her friend's support, she really did, but they couldn't blame _everything_ on Tuxedo Kamen. She was the one who had run off before he could finish healing her.

She didn't even want his help, though she was grateful to him for saving her life… again. But she could take care of herself now. And he wasn't allowed to be so cold and distant as Mamoru, but then all of a sudden swoop in and save her as Tuxedo Kamen with his piercing gaze and strong arms… she shook herself out of that thought. The point was, it wasn't fair for him to have such a dual personality.

"Did you get Chibiusa out okay?" Jupiter asked.

Sailor Moon nodded. "I told her to cover her mouth and nose and run as fast as she could to the Arcade. She's probably scared, we should go there as soon as we're done here."

"You can go on ahead," Mercury said. "I need to tend to some of the wounded, make sure everyone is receiving proper medical care. I should also analyze the fog, see if I can find out anything useful. It might help craft an antidote for the people who inhaled large amounts of the fog."

"Okay. Meet us at the Arcade later?" she asked.

Mercury nodded distractedly, already furiously typing away at her computer to analyze the last traces of the fog that lingered in the air. "This shouldn't take too long."

The other girls dropped their transformations and headed off to the Arcade, leaving Mercury behind to do damage control.

* * *

A short while later, they were sitting in a booth at the Arcade, sipping milkshakes and sharing a plate of fries. Chibiusa, scared from the fight and wiped out from the adrenaline, was curled up in a back room, napping. Motoki had set up a little makeshift bed for her, and promised them he would keep an eye on her anytime they needed him to.

"Ugh, my clothes all smell funny," Usagi said, sniffing her shirt. "It must have been from that fog."

"You should really let Ami take a look at you when she gets back," Rei said. "Inhaling all of that fog can't have been good for you."

Usagi waved away her concerns. "I'm _fine_, Rei. Seriously. You guys worry too much."

Rei looked like she was about to say something else when the bell above the door of the Arcade clanged, and a very familiar figure walked in.

"Hey Mamoru!" Motoki called from the front, where he was wiping down the counters. "How's it going?"

"Good!" Mamoru said. "I just got out of Physics and was hoping you could—" he broke off, noticing Usagi and her friends sitting at the nearby booth. "Oh. Usagi-san, Rei-san, Makoto-san, Minako-san. Nice to see you again."

Rei muttered some very rude words about him under her breath. Makoto casually cracked her knuckles and Minako toyed with the butter knife on the table, a hint of a malicious smile on her face. Usagi just sighed.

"Um... I…" Mamoru trailed off nervously.

Ami walked in the door at that moment. "Mamoru-san," she said coldly, narrowing her eyes slightly. "How… nice to see you." Her tone of voice implied that she thought it was anything but, and Mamoru winced slightly.

Motoki watched the whole exchange with a curious look on his face. "Anyways… what were you saying, Mamoru?"

"Oh, I was just…" Mamoru swallowed nervously, unable to take his eyes off of the formidable Senshi, all of whom were still staring at him with death in their eyes.

"Mamoru?" Motoki asked again. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine!" Mamoru said, finally turning his attention to his friend. "I was just hoping you'd be willing to be my lab partner for the joint Physics project between our classes."

"Yeah, sure, I'd be happy to," Motoki said. "Come on, I'll fix you a cup of coffee and you can tell me about your ideas for our project." He shot a curious look over his shoulder at Usagi and her friends, who had mostly returned to normal conversation, aside from the occasional glare at Mamoru.

Mamoru followed his friend's line of sight, and as if she could sense his presence, Rei looked up at him and mouthed some very inappropriate words at him. Blushing, Mamoru ducked his head, and turned back to Motoki.

"Yeah, some coffee sounds great. Let's sit over there," he suggested, pointing to a table at the other end of the store.

Motoki looked between Mamoru and Usagi's table, shrugged, but didn't say anything, and led Mamoru over to the table.

* * *

"The Prince wants to see you."

Rubeus grimaced at the singsong voice. "This doesn't concern you, Esmeraude. You don't need to fetch me like some sort of animal."

Esmeraude laughed, fanning herself. "Don't get so worked up, Rubeus. We're all just dedicated to the cause and to our Prince. That means this _does_ concern me. Now, hurry up, the Prince doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Rubeus grumbled under his breath, and Esmeraude just laughed louder. Rubeus set off at a brisk pace down the hall, hoping Esmeraude would leave him alone, but no such luck.

She trailed behind him, smirking, as if she was looking forward to him messing up. Which was probably exactly the case, as he knew she was eager to take his place and prove herself to Prince Demande by killing the Rabbit and the Senshi. Well, the Senshi minus Sailor Moon. Rubeus didn't know why, but Prince Demande had said that Sailor Moon was to be brought in alive.

"Good luck," Esmeraude said with false sweetness as Rubeus paused before the entryway to the Throne Room. "The Prince isn't happy." The singsong lilt in her voice drove Rubeus crazy almost as much as her maniacal laugh.

"Rubeus," Prince Demande said as he entered and kneeled before the throne. "Your efforts to kill the Rabbit and capture Sailor Moon have been poor at best. Sending out random droids? This mission requires your complete focus, and if you cannot give it, I will hand the mission over to someone else."

Rubeus winced at the thought of Esmeraude in charge of _his_ mission, receiving glory meant for _him_. "I promise you, my liege, I will step up my efforts. It has been difficult to track down the rabbit, and Sailor Moon and the Senshi have proved to be more difficult foes than anticipated..."

Prince Demande held up a hand. "Enough. I have no desire for your whining. What is your plan of action?"

"I believe I have found a way to trace the Rabbit's energy signature," Rubeus said. "It is faint, but I have a trap devised to lure her out. I will be sending in my best droids to ensure that the Rabbit is killed, and I will be on site myself to capture Sailor Moon and bring her to you."

"My liege…" Wiseman, who had been silently lurking in the shadows next to the throne, spoke up. "I question the decision to capture Sailor Moon. She is a very dangerous foe, not to mention that she will one day become Neo-Queen Serenity. If we kill her now, that will prevent Crystal Tokyo from ever forming. It would make ruling the Earth much easier."

Prince Demande shook his head. "No, Sailor Moon is not to be killed. But do not fear, I don't intend to let her form Crystal Tokyo. I will make her my bride, and we will be King and Queen of Nemesis _and_ Earth, together."

* * *

Back at the Arcade, Makoto was listening to Minako concoct some elaborate story about how they could enact revenge on Mamoru. Smiling, Makoto sighed and shook her head. Much as Usagi protested that she was fine, and that she had more important things to worry about, Makoto knew she was really struggling with the breakup. Sometimes, when she thought no one was looking, her façade would drop, and Makoto would see a look of utter heartbreak and despair on her face.

Minako was describing a plan to break into Mamoru's apartment, steal all his furniture and graffiti the walls, but if Makoto had her way, she'd choose a much more direct way of getting revenge. She didn't know what reasons Mamoru had for breaking up with Usagi, but all she needed was a few minutes alone with him, and she would make him hurt just as much as Usagi was hurting.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of brown, curly hair, and suddenly she was seeing something else.

_The moonlight reflected brightly off the white stone path. The air was a little chilly, and shivering, she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders._

_"Cold?" he asked, shrugging out of his jacket. "The weather here on Earth can be a bit unpredictable at times. Here, take this."_

"_Thank you," she said with a grateful smile. She snuggled into his jacket, breathing in deep. It smelled like pine, soap, and some other pleasant, musky scent she couldn't quite place. It smelled like _him_._

_They were both silent for a few minutes as they walked among the garden rows, and her eyes drank in all the colors. Everything here on Earth was so vibrant, so lively. It made _her _feel that way. She had always thought of herself as a lively person, she had no shortage of energy, and her life was certainly filled with many stimulating, exciting things. But just being here, walking among the garden rows with him… it made her feel something else entirely._

"_What?" he asked and she realized she'd been staring._

"_Nothing," she said with a giggle._

"_What?" he repeated, running a hand through his brown, curly hair. "Do I have something on my face?"_

"_It's nothing!" she said, laughing harder now, and she didn't even know why, for truly, it _was_ nothing. But she just suddenly felt so light, so giddy, and she had to tilt her head back and laugh. He continued to stare at her, a slightly bemused expression on his face, but a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth._

"_It's just…" she gasped between fits of laughter. "I just love you so much."_

"_And that's amusing to you, is it?" he asked, the smile growing on his face._

"_Yes!" she said. "It is amusing. It is very, very amusing, because it's all so strange and new and I don't know what to think about it, or about anything anymore, because all I can think about is how much I love you."_

"_Well," he said, catching her wrist and drawing her in towards him. "I rather like being the only thing on your mind. I must encourage this behavior as much as I can."_

_All of a sudden, her laughing stopped, just as quickly as it had started. She stared up at his dark blue eyes, her breathing becoming shallow as she drank him in. And as he drew her in for a kiss, all she could think was, Good lord, he was so perfect. _

"_That helps," she said after they broke away a minute later._

"_Hmm?" He asked, his forehead resting against hers._

"_If you want to keep yourself as the only thing I can think about… that helps," she repeated._

"_Well then," he said. "I suppose I'd better do it some more."_

Makoto blinked her eyes in rapid succession trying to clear the images from her brain. What _was_ that? The woman in her… vision? Daydream? She didn't know what it was. But the woman in it had felt like herself. But who was _he_? She had never seen him before… or… had she? Somehow he seemed very, very familiar to her. She had a feeling that he was very important, and that it was very important that she remember who he was. She just wished she knew how.

* * *

**AN: ****Je ne parle pas français, mais je vais essayer, si cela signifie que vous allez revoir.**

**Fun fact: The revenge scenario Minako is describing is what the Senshi actually _did_ do to Mamoru in my very first multi-chapter fic, Darkness Is Relative. :)**


	8. The Thunderstorm

**AN: Yay for relatively quick updates! Huzzah! I have a system where I alternate between my two fics and my novel, so I can work on all my projects without getting too overwhelmed, but I pushed this to the top of the queue just for you guys, because that's how much I love you all. (And I just really want to write this, but... shh.) So please review?**

**As always, a million thanks to my amazing reviewers: Noizchild Johnson, lilymoon80, MissFieyrabaMeponineWholock, Unknown reader, mireee3D2Y, gabeliz . castillocarin, and slightlyxjaded. The number of reviews I've been getting for this (and all the wonderful things you say) keeps blowing me away. You guys rock.**

* * *

"Are you dying?"

"Hmm?" Mamoru looked up disinterestedly from his cup of cold coffee.

Motoki sighed and shook his washrag at Mamoru. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! You're always lost in thought, never paying attention to what's going on around you, you seem so sullen and morose, you've barely touched your coffee, and strangest of all, the other day when Usagi was here, you just stared awkwardly at her. There were none of the usual insults flung about between you, no screaming, no loud declarations of the other's incompetence. You acted almost normal! With Usagi! So, the only conclusion I can come to is that surely you must be deathly ill."

Mamoru rolled his eyes. "I'm not dying, Motoki. I was just… trying to be more mature. There's no need for me to be constantly antagonizing Usak—the Odango." He quickly took a sip of his coffee to try and hide his slip-up with Usagi's name. Still, Motoki's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward, peering at Mamoru with a quizzical expression on his face.

"Huh." With a shrug, he turned back to wiping down the counters. "You'd tell me if something else was going on, wouldn't you? You're my best friend, Mamoru. I don't like feeling like you're shutting you out."

"I'm not shutting you out," Mamoru promised, but of course that was a lie. He told Motoki everything he could, but when the majority of his life was spent thinking about Usagi, defending the world from evil, and his role as Tuxedo Kamen, it didn't leave much he _could_ tell Motoki. It was hard to have an honest relationship when living a double life.

Of course, technically, he could tell Motoki about Usagi, but it would be too complicated to explain without also telling him everything else. How was he supposed to tell Motoki that he was madly in love with Usagi, who he'd always teased and made fun of?

Although, he had always suspected that Motoki saw through all of the bickering and insults. But even if he told Motoki that he loved Usagi, there was no way he could tell him why he wasn't dating her anymore, unless he lied and made up some sort of excuse. But he knew Motoki would see through that, he'd never been good at lying when it came to his feelings for Usagi.

Overall, it was best that he not tell Motoki anything, much as he wished he could. Usagi had the Senshi who were her closest friends and confidants, but his only friend was Motoki, who could never know the truth about who he was. He wished he could talk to him, but it the situation was what it was.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to the Arcade. "I'm not keeping anything from you, I swear. Nothing's going on, I've just been stressed from school lately." He carefully looked Motoki in the eye as he said it, keeping his voice normal. He hated lying to his friend, but at least he could be a good liar when he needed to. And right now, he needed to.

Motoki nodded, accepting his answer, and turned his attention to the customers who had just walked in the door. Once he was gone, Mamoru sunk further into his chair, his thoughts turning back to Usagi.

* * *

"Any word from Sailor Uranus and Neptune?" Luna asked at the next Senshi meeting.

Usagi shook her head. "Ever since I told them to either join the team fully or leave us alone, they haven't showed up. Maybe that is their answer. Although, I don't know, I never really thought they'd just disappear… and they're Sailor Senshi, too, do we really want to make them our enemy if they don't join us? Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…" she trailed off, nervously chewing on her lower lip.

"Are you alright?" Ami asked. "You seem a little… distracted."

"Hmm?" she said. "Oh. Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. I just… seeing Mamoru at the Arcade the other day…" she ruefully shook her head. "I guess I'm just not over the breakup, no matter how much I tell myself I can do this."

Ami placed a hand over Usagi's. "You _can_ do this. We're all here for you."

"I know," she said with a watery smile. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath to calm herself. When she opened her eyes again, she was all business.

"So no, there's been nothing from Sailor Uranus and Neptune. They did say they would consider my proposal, and I truly hope they join us, but we can't rely on them. I'm tired of being on the defensive, waiting for the Black Moon Clan to attack next. We need to figure out what they want, and how to stop them."

"Is there any chance you could talk to Chibiusa?" Rei asked. "I know she's been avoiding talking about the 30th century, but we could really use her help."

"I know," Usagi sighed. "I'll do my best. I feel bad prodding her for information, when she's clearly been through so much, but… I'll see what I can do."

"I haven't found anything new in my research," Artemis said. "So, unless any of you girls has something to offer, this meeting may as well be over."

Everyone looked around at each other, but no one spoke up. Sighing, Usagi got to her feet. "Well, I guess that's it, then. I'll go home to check on Chibiusa, and see if she can help us out."

As the Senshi slowly dispersed, Makoto hung around, waiting until it was just her and Minako. "Hey, Minako?"

"Yeah?" the blonde Senshi turned around to face her friend.

"Do you… you know the other day, when you were acting kind of weird… and you asked if any of us had been having strange dreams?"

"Yes…" Minako said slowly, afraid of the direction Makoto was going in.

"Do you…" Makoto bit her lip, and her next words came in a rush. "Do you still get them? Because back when you brought it up, I had no idea what you were talking about, but just the other day I had this weird dream, which didn't really feel like a dream, it felt more like a…"

"Memory?" Minako asked quietly.

"Yes!" Makoto said. "Exactly! So… do you know what's going on?"

Minako nodded. "I do. It's… it's memories of our past lives returning."

"But why would we only be getting them now? I thought the seal on our memories was broken when Usagi was discovered as Princess Serenity, and that was almost a year ago."

"I don't know," Minako said. "I wish I had the answers, but… I don't know." Her voice broke on the last word.

"Hey, it's okay," Makoto said hurriedly, not sure what it was that had upset her friend so much. "You don't have to know what's going on, we can figure it out together. And if it's our past lives returning, maybe Ami and Rei are getting these dreams, or memories, too."

"It's not that," Minako said, her shoulders shaking as she tried to control her voice. "I just… I wish I could explain it, but I think it's something you have to experience on your own, on your own time. I don't know why our memories are returning now, and not all at the same time, but I can only assume it's for a reason. Just tell me this… what was is it you dreamed of?"

"Well, it's wasn't really a _dream_," Makoto said. "It was so strange… I was just sitting in the Arcade, and I saw something, I don't know what, and all of a sudden I was somewhere else, walking in the gardens with a handsome man… and he felt so familiar to me. I think… no, I _know_ I've seen him before somewhere, I just wish I could place it…"

"Is that the only vision you've had? Just you and him walking in the gardens together?"

"Yeah…" Makoto said. "Why?"

"No reason," Minako said quickly. A little _too_ quickly. Sighing, she dropped the act. "That's how it started for me, too. Just one little dream…. a ball, kissing under the fireworks… and then the dreams just… intensified."

Makoto shuddered at the serious tone in her voice. She didn't now what to expect in the future, but she had a feeling it wasn't good.

"If you ever want to talk more… if… no, _once_ you remember everything, come talk to me, okay?"

"I will," Makoto promised. "Thank you, I really appreciate it. I don't really know what to make of this yet, and it's nice to know that you've already gone through this."

"Of course," Minako said with a small, slightly sad smile. "What else are friends for?"

* * *

"I'm home!" Usagi called out as she walked in the door.

"How was school? And… and 'study group'?" Ikuko asked with a slightly too bright, wide smile.

Usagi could practically hear the question marks in her mother's voice. She sighed. It had been a few weeks since her mom had found out the truth about her identity as Sailor Moon, and she still struggled coming to terms with it. She made it clear that the less she knew about Usagi's life as Sailor Moon, the better. Usagi knew she was trying, and it _was_ a lot to adjust to... but it was still hard to deal with.

"Both were fine," Usagi said. "I got a 78 on my history test!"

"And math?" Ikuko asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Er… 43?" Usagi grinned sheepishly. "I was trying hard, I really was! And a 48 is _almost_ passing… sort of."

Ikuko shook her head. "I know you have… other things to deal with, but I expect better grades than that! You have to make an effort to get good grades. You need to think about your future, and you won't be getting into any good high school with grades like that. Now, go wash up before dinner."

Usagi trudged up the stairs, trying to think of a way to broach to the subject of the 30th century with Chibiusa, and wishing she didn't have to. The poor girl had been through so much, and whatever had happened in the 30th century was clearly something she was terrified of.

But Luna and Artemis hadn't been able to find out anything about the Black Moon Clan through their research, and simply waiting around for the next attack wasn't a very successful strategy, so Chibiusa was their last resort.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she knocked on Chibiusa's door. "Can I come in?"

A second later, the little girl was opening the door, a big smile on her face. "Is dinner ready yet?"

Usagi laughed. Sometimes Chibiusa reminded her of herself when she was a little younger. "No, not just yet. I wanted to talk to you for a bit. Mind if I come in?"

Chibiusa shook her head, but her expression was wary, as if she knew what Usagi wanted to talk to her about.

"What have you been up to today?" Usagi asked as she followed Chibiusa to her bed, hoping to start the conversation off light. Maybe if Chibiusa was feeling relaxed, if Usagi didn't spring the question on her out of nowhere, the little girl would be more willing to open up.

"I started school today!" she said with a big beam on her face, and Usagi chuckled. Maybe they weren't so similar after all.

"How did that go? Did you make some new friends?"

"Not really," she said, looking down. "But it was only my first day. Look, I made this in art class!" She hopped up off the bed and grabbed a piece of paper from her desk. It was a crayon drawing of a little pink-haired girl walking through a meadow, holding the hands of two people. A teen girl with long blonde hair, and a young man with black hair and blue eyes. It was unmistakably Chibiusa, Usagi and Mamoru.

"It's for you," Chibiusa said shyly, holding it out to her.

"It's…" Usagi swallowed the lump in her throat. It was just an innocent kid's drawing of two people in her life who she looked up to. Surely Chibiusa didn't know how much more to her and Mamoru there was, how much the image both delighted and pained her.

"Do you not like it?"

"No, no!" Usagi said. "I love it. It's beautiful, thank you."

Chibiusa smiled, but her eyes were somber. Usagi wondered just how much the little girl picked up on, she was more observant than people gave her credit for.

"I also had a question for you," she said, looking down shyly. "Would… would it be okay with you if I stay over at Mamoru's tomorrow night? I liked staying with him before. He said he would show me how to make chocolate chip cookies next time I visited him."

"Of course that's okay," Usagi said, hoping her smile didn't look too fake. It _was_ fine with her; Chibiusa could do what she wanted. And yet… some small, jealous part of her wanted to keep Chibiusa to herself, to poison her against Mamoru, to do something to make him hurt. But she couldn't give into that side, she had to be mature, and do the right thing. And so, she took a deep breath, and softened her smile a little.

"You can stay wherever you want," she said. "You don't need to ask my permission."

"Okay," Chibiusa smiled a little. There was silence for a minute, and Usagi was just about to broach the subject of the 30th century, when she spoke again. "What's going on between you and Mamoru?"

That was definitely not a question Usagi was expecting. "I don't know what you mean. Nothing's going on, we're just friends."

Chibiusa gave her a quizzical look. "You always look really sad when he's around or when his name is brought up. I asked Mamoru, and he said you used to date, but broke up, but he still loves you."

For a second Usagi stiffened. Had Mamoru really said that? Surely not… she didn't know why he'd broken up with her, why he'd suddenly fallen out of love with her-she'd even started to doubt if he even loved her in the first place—but all she knew was that if Mamoru still loved her, had ever loved her, he had a pretty lousy way of showing it. Presumably, Chibiusa had misinterpreted something he said, or was projecting her own desires onto him, because for whatever reason, she seemed to want the two to be together.

"I…" she trailed off, biting her lip. How much could she tell Chibiusa? Usagi was reminded yet again that the girl understood a lot more than people gave her credit for—yet another reason why she needed to get her to open up about what happened in the 30th century. She could provide them with some incredibly valuable information. But with the whole Mamoru situation… perhaps it was just best to keep to the basics. It wasn't fair to unload all her personal drama onto Chibiusa, especially when the girl likely wouldn't be able to understand it all.

"Yes, we used to date," she said. "But things didn't really work out between us, so we're just friends now." Before Chibiusa had a chance to say anything else, Usagi took a deep breath and continued. "Before dinner, there was something I wanted to talk to you about…"

She had barely gotten the words out when Chibiusa started shaking her head, her eyes wide with panic.

"I know it's hard for you, but we need to know what happened in the 30th century," Usagi said. "Who attacked you? Was it the Black Moon Clan? What were they after?"

"No no no no," Chibiusa cried, covering her ears with her hands. "I can't! Don't make me!"

"Chibiusa…" Usagi laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, but the girl shrugged it off, springing up from the bed and running off. "Chibiusa!"

Cursing to herself, Usagi stumbled to her feet and ran off after Chibiusa, calling after her as she went.

"Dinner's almost ready," Ikuko said when Usagi got downstairs, but Usagi barreled past her, towards the wide open door and the brief glimpse of pink hair.

"Usagi?" Ikuko called after her.

"I'll be back in a minute!" she said, hoping that was the case. Outside, the sky was dark as ominous thunderclouds started to roll in. It was already drizzling, and it looked like it was about to full-on storm. Usagi shivered in a way that had nothing to do with the chilly air. She hated thunderstorms. She hoped she would be able to find Chibiusa and bring her back home before it got too serious.

* * *

From his perch up above the city, Rubeus smiled to himself. The trap had been set, the Rabbit had been lured out of her hole. The thunderstorm, brought on by one of his droids, was the perfect way to flush her out.

He could see the whole city from where he was, and he had one of his best droids on the ground. Soon, the Rabbit would be caught and dealt with, and he would return to Nemesis with the good news. Prince Demande would elevate his position, and the last of the royal line of Crystal Tokyo would be exterminated.

Prince Demande would become the supreme leader of Crystal Tokyo, with Rubeus as his trusted advisor, instead of that shady Wiseman. It was all a matter of time now. Soon, their troubles would all be over.

* * *

"Chibiusa!" Usagi called, but her voice was drowned out in a loud clap of thunder. Unable to keep herself from shrieking, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to block out the noise.

It was stupid, really. She was Sailor Moon, champion of justice, she risked her life on a daily basis to defeat the evil forces that plagued them and threatened to take over the planet. She was the incarnation of Princess Serenity, heir to the powerful Moon Kingdom. She wielded the limitless power of the Silver Crystal without a thought or fear. She had technically died twice before. And she was afraid of some stupid thunder.

"Chibiusa!" she called again, cursing quietly under her breath when she got no reply. A flash of lightning burst across the sky, accompanied by a thunderous blast a second later, and she screamed, falling to her knees and curling herself up into a ball. She lay there for a second, shivering and shaking in the pouring rain, and for a moment, she wasn't sure if she could get up. Her legs felt paralyzed with fear, her heart was pounding a million beats per second, and she couldn't stop shaking.

But no. She couldn't just lie there. Chibiusa was caught out in this storm somewhere, too, and even worse, she was a defenseless six-year-old with the Black Moon Clan after her. So, with shaky legs she forced herself to her feet, and took off running.

"Chibiusa!" she tried again. No reply. The rain was coming down so thick that she could only see a few inches in front of her and again she cursed herself for letting Chibiusa slip away. Perhaps if she hadn't pushed the girl so hard, or if she had been a bit quicker on her feet… but it was useless contemplating ifs.

Another clash of thunder, and despite herself, she clapped her hands over her ears, screaming in terror. Her legs gave out underneath her, but right before she could hit the ground, something caught her by her elbows. Or rather, some_one_. As the person pulled her to her feet Usagi tentatively looked up, but she already knew who it was. _Mamoru_.

"M-Mamo…" she started to make out, her teeth chattering with cold and fear. The thunder came again and without thinking, she grabbed onto the front of his shirt, shaking like a leaf and biting her tongue to keep herself from crying out. For just a second, it felt like Mamoru's arms tightened around her, but then he pushed her away.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, his tone cold.

"Ch-Chibiusa… ran… ran off," she stuttered, the terror she felt from the storm making it hard for her to articulate herself.

"Is she out here in the storm somewhere?" Mamoru asked, suddenly concerned, and Usagi couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Sure, she was soaked to the bone and nearly out of her mind with fear, but he didn't care about that. But Chibiusa out here somewhere? _Now_ he was concerned.

But there wasn't any time for her to be jealous, so she nodded her head, and tried to force her frozen lips and tongue to move. "She… ran… she… I… asked her… Black Moon… she ran away! And… and I can't find her. And I'm so scared!" The last word came out as a shriek as another flash of lightning crossed the sky, and thunder sounded far too close to them.

"We'll find her," Mamoru said. "Come on." And he took off running, only pausing briefly to see if Usagi was following him.

"Chibiusa!" he called out. "Chibiusa!" Still no reply.

"Chibiusa!" Usagi yelled. Her feet sloshed through a puddle, and she tripped over some debris, her body lurching towards the pavement, but Mamoru grabbed her arms and yanked her up before she could fall.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his dark blue eyes soft with concern.

Usagi felt like snorting at the question, but she didn't have the energy for it. Was she _okay_? She was out in the middle of a thunderstorm—her biggest phobia—and she was desperately trying to find Chibiusa.

Her chest felt tight and uncomfortable, her breathing was shallow, she couldn't stop her body from shaking, and she was worried about Chibiusa. So no, she was most definitely not _okay_, and that seemed rather obvious.

Usagi ignored him. She was so sick of his hot and cold behavior, but that was one thing she simply couldn't deal with right now. The urgent need to find Chibiusa was the only thing keeping her from completely collapsing right now, and even that was a pretty tenuous hold. If she tried to think of anything else, she was afraid she'd completely shut down.

"Chibiusa!" she tried again. And this time, there was a faint reply.

"Usagi?"

"Chibiusa!" she cried out in relief. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" the girl cried back, but a second later, she screamed.

"Chibiusa!" Mamoru yelled, his face white with sheer terror.

Usagi ran forward with a burst of speed she didn't know she had, her shaky legs suddenly moving of their own accord. Up ahead, through the rain, she could just make out Chibiusa, backed up against a tree, and in front of her, a youma, about to strike.

"_No!_" she screamed and launched herself into the air. She tackled Chibiusa to the ground, and as she did so, a white-hot pain erupted in her side. She was dimly aware of someone screaming—no, _two_ people screaming. A scream of pure terror from Chibiusa, and a mangled cry of her name from Mamoru. She could see the youma ready to strike again, and she knew she had to get out her transformation broach, defeat the youma, or else it would kill her and everyone else.

But her vision was starting to go dark and she was so, so tired, her body exhausted, as if she had just run a marathon. Somewhere deep down inside, she knew it was because the adrenaline from her fear was wearing off, and that she couldn't let it, she had to keep the adrenaline going, had to save the day… but she couldn't.

A blast of light erupted from somewhere, hitting the youma. Usagi frowned slightly to herself. That was odd. She saw it again, and it seemed to be coming from… Mamoru? But that was impossible. He didn't have any attack aside from his roses. The light erupted from Mamoru's hands a third time, and the youma crumbled to dust.

She heard footsteps, and felt someone cradling her gently, stroking her hair, her face, and whispering her name. And despite the rain, despite the storm still going on, despite the pain in her side, she felt peaceful. Safe. As she drifted away, she almost smiled.

* * *

**AN: Hehe, whoops, another cliffie... I don't normally end all my chapters with cliffies, I swear! It just keeps happening with this story. Anyways, please review! :D**


	9. Rising Tension

**AN: Gahhh, a slow update! I'm so sorry you guys. My muse has been very fickle lately, I had a sudden burst of inspiration for my novel, and whenever I tried to work on this, it just didn't want to happen. But I think everything's good now!**

**A billion thanks and more to all my lovely reviewers: h34rt1lly, Noizchild Johnson, Flaming Beauty, maryyorke, The CookieThatWasBaked, MissFiyerabaMeponineWholock, lilymoon80, tryntee13, gabeliz . catillocarin, slightlyxjaded, and James Birdsong. Holy cow, you guys. 11 reviews?! So much love to all.**

**Anyways, without further ado, here is chapter 9! Please review. :)**

* * *

Usagi woke with a groan. Her body ached all over, and when she sat up, a sharp pain shot through her side. Looking around, she could tell she was in the base under the Arcade, in what had become the infirmary area. Luna, Artemis and Minako were researching something on the computers, Makoto and Rei were sparring, and Ami sat by her bed, her nose buried in a book.

"Take it easy," Ami admonished as she saw Usagi get up. "How are you feeling?"

"Ugh," she groaned. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

Ami pursed her lips. "Well, that's understandable. You're suffering from a pretty severe adrenaline crash, and you also got hit directly by a youma attack."

"How bad is it?"

"It could have been a lot worse," Ami said. "The youma's acid-covered claws got you pretty deep, but Mamoru-san had already healed you a bit when he brought you here."

"Mamoru brought me here?" Usagi asked, puzzled. She didn't remember that. Come to think of it, she didn't remember what happened after the youma hit her. How had the youma been defeated without her? She vaguely remembered Mamoru destroying it, but that didn't seem right… he didn't have any powers.

Ami nodded. "He was quite distraught. He barged in here, and luckily, I was here doing some research, along with Luna and Artemis. He refused to leave, despite my persuasions and assurances that you would be fine." He mouth flattened into a line. "Despite my… reservations towards Mamoru's recent behavior, he likely saved your life."

"What about Chibiusa?" Usagi asked, suddenly remembering why she'd been attacked in the first place. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Ami said. "She seemed to be in a bit of shock, so I checked her over, but aside from a few scrapes and bruises, she's fine."

Usagi blew out a breath. "I don't like this. The enemy is definitely targeting Chibiusa, but why? I tried to ask her about it, but she just ran off. The more we continue to go in blind, the more likely things like _this_ are going to happen." She waved her hand over her injured side.

Ami frowned. "I agree, but what are we supposed to do about it? Unless we can get information out of Chibiusa, we're at a dead end. Luna, Artemis and I have chased down every last shred of evidence we've uncovered, but everything has led to a dead end."

Usagi sighed and ran a hand over her face. "I wish I knew. I hate to admit this, Ami, but… I'm scared. What if we can't do this? We just barely managed to take down Beryl and the Dark Kingdom, and the cost was our lives. This Black Moon Clan is much more powerful. What happens if we're just overpowered?"

"I refuse to believe that." Ami said. "We _can_ do this. _You _can do this, Usagi. We'll find a way."

Usagi smiled a little, but the doubt she felt didn't go away. She appreciated Ami's reassurances, she really did, but… she just had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Mamoru paced back and forth in his apartment, unable to keep still. What had happened out there? He stared at his hands. What _was_ that power? He had never experienced anything like that before; he didn't think he _had _powers. But when he saw Usagi lying there, bleeding, likely _dying_, and knowing that he and Chibiusa would be next… something within him just erupted.

_Usagi_. He shuddered, thinking about what had happened, and what had almost happened. He hadn't wanted to leave her, but Makoto had quite literally dragged him out once she arrived. It was killing him, being away from her, he couldn't stand it anymore.

When Usagi woke up, he would tell her. He would tell her everything, about how much he still loved her, and the reason he'd left her. He'd beg for forgiveness, and everything would be okay. And yet… he groaned, burying his head in his hands as a little voice in the back of his head voiced its doubts.

It was Usagi's love for Chibiusa that caused her to get injured. She would throw caution to the winds again and again to do anything to save the little girl. And it wasn't that Mamoru blamed her for that, he would do anything to protect Chibiusa, too.

But loved ones were a liability in their world. Either you sacrificed yourself to save your loved one, or the enemy used your loved one as a weapon against you. Usagi hadn't been able to kill him when he'd been brainwashed by Queen Beryl, because she loved him. She'd left things far too late, and put herself in danger multiple times, just because she couldn't bring herself to kill him.

If she had killed him right after he'd been brainwashed, he wouldn't have almost killed _her_. He wouldn't have tortured her, he wouldn't have used up so much of her strength, both physical and emotional, and maybe she would have survived the battle with Queen Beryl.

Mamoru knew that Usagi was haunted by the memories of that fight, despite how much she tried to hide it. She claimed that none of it mattered, she understood that Mamoru had been brainwashed, that it wasn't him, and the Silver Crystal had resurrected her, so why did it matter that she'd technically died? But he knew better.

During their short time together, between the defeat of the Dark Kingdom and before the Black Moon Clan appeared, he wasn't the only one who had been plagued by nightmares. He heard her cry out in her sleep, muttering about Queen Beryl and dying, and whimpering his name. He saw the way Usagi would flinch slightly any time he startled her, or touched her. He knew that she carried the emotional scars of his assault and her eventual death, and that despite her claims, it very much bothered her.

She always apologized profusely, and told him it didn't matter, but he could see through it. He wished he knew how to help her, but as far as Usagi knew, he had no memories of what he's done to her, only the very brief description she'd given him, that he'd been brainwashed and had attacked her. He hadn't meant to lie to her, when his memories first returned, he _didn't_ remember what had happened when he'd been brainwashed. But the memories had returned slowly, and he never knew how to bring it up.

It was another reason why he had broken up with her and why, despite how much he desperately, _desperately_ wanted to be with her, he couldn't. If he hurt her again… it would very likely kill them both. Perhaps they weren't meant to be together, perhaps they were destined to always fall in love and be torn apart. Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity had met a tragic end—were they doomed to always repeat it?

* * *

The following day, Usagi had convinced Ami that she was well enough to go on patrols. Tired of waiting for the enemy to come after them, Usagi decided it was time for some initiative action. She'd been honing the spiritual aspect to her powers recently, and she hoped that if she went out on some patrols, she might be able to sense areas that were filled with negative energy, and therefore likely to be connected to the Black Moon Clan.

She was just investigating an old abandoned warehouse on the edge of town when she saw a youma up ahead. Luckily, it hadn't seen her yet, and there were no civilians around, so she had time to think this through.

"There's a youma," she said into the communicator. "By this abandoned warehouse… uh…" she looked around, realizing she didn't really know exactly where she was.

"Don't worry," Ami said on the other end of the line. "I recently updated everyone's communicators with a tracking device, I'll be able to find your location in just a minute."

"Don't do anything stupid or hasty before then," Rei said. "If you get yourself injured again, I will kill you myself."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "I'll be careful, I promise."

She hung up, and pulled out her transformation brooch. She figured she might as well transform now, that way if the youma saw her, she wouldn't be caught unawares.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Closing her eyes, she let the power wash over her. Even after all this time, it still surprised her just how much power she held. She could feel the energy crackling through her body, waiting to be unleashed. But now, unlike before, she could sense a much deeper reserve of power, something that went down to her very bones. That was the power she'd drawn upon to defeat Queen Beryl. The power that had killed her.

She shuddered at the memory. She knew there must be a way to tap into some of that power, and she had to if they had any hopes of defeating the Black Moon Clan, but… it scared her. It wasn't like she thought she would accidentally kill herself, the power she had used against Queen Beryl had taken all her efforts to muster up. And yet… she was still scared to. There was no rational reason for it, and she could never explain it when Luna encouraged her to test her limits in training… but she was afraid.

A sudden noise from behind pulled Sailor Moon out of her thoughts, and she turned to find the youma barreling towards her. It was huge and beastly, with putrid yellow-green skin. She deftly sidestepped it, and whipped out her tiara, hoping to at least injure it a bit.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Nothing happened. The youma had paused briefly, as if anticipating her attack, but it growled and hunched up its shoulders. Spikes protruded, and it took Sailor Moon a second to react. As she dove behind a tree for cover, the youma released the spikes, sending them flying in every direction. They were clearly extremely sharp, as one took the top off the tree easily.

Steeling herself, Sailor Moon pulled out her tiara again. Why hadn't it worked? This had never happened before. Her breath started coming in quick, shallow gasps, and she tried to force herself to concentrate. If she didn't, the youma would kill her.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

This time the tiara flew true and hit its target. Sailor Moon blew out a sigh of relief, but her relief was short-lived, as the youma easily shrugged off the tiara, and prepared to attack again.

"Burning Mandala!"

The youma screamed in pain as the fire burned it, and as the smoke cleared, Sailor Moon could see the rest of the Senshi standing there.

"I thought I told you not to do anything stupid," Mars said.

"The youma noticed me, Mars," Sailor Moon. "What was I supposed to do, run and hide?"

"Yes! That is exactly what you should have done. You're already injured, and if you get yourself killed, you will only have yourself to blame, because I am not going to take responsibility for your stupidity."

"Your concern is noted," Sailor Moon said with a roll of her eyes. "Now can we please go back to dusting the youma?"

"Crescent Beam!" Venus shouted, at the same time as Jupiter sent an attack of her own. The combined attack hit the youma, knocking it aside, but it was soon back on its feet again.

Sailor Moon let out a long string of curses under her breath, which got a raised eyebrow from Mercury in response.

"Sorry," Sailor Moon muttered, blushing slightly. She shook off her slight embarrassment, and re-organized her thoughts. "Okay, we need to focus. Assess the situation. The youma is strong, resilient to our magic attacks. My tiara barely damaged it, and Venus and Jupiter's combined attack didn't do much more. Is there anything useful you've managed to gain, Mercury?"

Mercury, who had been typing away at her computer the entire time, shook her head. "The scan isn't revealing much more than basic information. It's resistant to magic, but getting in a physical attack would be difficult, as its skin is poisonous. All we can do is keep attacking it, and slowly wear it down."

Sailor Moon nodded, turning towards the youma again, which was preparing to send out another barrage of spikes. "So, we fight. We keep fighting until this thing is nothing more than moon dust."

* * *

High up in the treetops, two shadowy figures watched the fight going on below. The warriors were fighting valiantly, but the creature they fought was tough, and it was an uphill battle.

"Now's our chance," Neptune said. "We could go down there and finish the droid off, right now. Have you made up your mind yet?"

Uranus sighed. "I know you want to join their team, take the girl up on her offer. But is this really a good idea? What of our mission? I fear you were too easily swayed by her strong words."

Neptune was silent for a long moment, carefully considering her partner's words. "Yes, I was taken in by the way she spoke to us, I admire the strength of her conviction. But that is not why I think we should join her team. We fight the same enemy; it's just our end goals that are slightly different."

Uranus frowned. "And what of our mission? Are we supposed to just give that up? After so long spent searching and fighting?"

"Of course not," Neptune shook her head. "Our mission remains the same. We locate the threat to the royal line and eliminate it, protecting the Silver Millennium line at all costs. But I believe a partnership with Sailor Moon could be mutually beneficial."

Uranus sighed. "Why are you always right?"

Neptune smiled. "It's just part of my charm. Now, shall we?"

Uranus nodded, grabbing her partner's hand, and together they leap off the branch they were standing on, ready to head into the fray.

* * *

"Dammit, Mars, could I have a little cover over here?" Sailor Moon shouted, dodging another spike attack.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Mars said as she ducked, narrowly missing some sort of poisonous-looking goo the youma was flinging at her. "You know, Mercury, it would have been nice if you mentioned that this can _replicate_ itself!"

"I'm sorry!" Mercury cried, pausing briefly to send a blast of water towards one of the youmas. Several minutes into the fight, the youma had started to shimmer. At first, they thought it was some sort of attack, or maybe they were lucky and it had been injured more than they thought, but no such luck. Instead, it seemed to split in two, and another youma, exactly the same as the first, appeared. It had continued, and now there were five of the same youma.

"I did a complete scan, and there was no evidence anywhere that it possessed this power!" Mercury continued. "But if it's any consolation, we don't have to defeat all of them. If we defeat the first one, the others will disappear, as they are technically only illusions."

"What do you mean by technically?" Jupiter asked. "Does that mean the attacks aren't real?"

"Well, no," Mercury admitted. "The attacks are very real. But at the same time, the other youmas are not quite here, and they are tied to the existence of the original."

"Okay, instead of worrying about what it means, can we just dust this thing?" Sailor Moon asked. She never would have admitted it to her friends, but her side was killing her, and she was so tired. She just wanted to end this stupid fight and go home and crash.

"Deep Submerge!" Out of nowhere, a wave of water came crashing down on one of the youmas.

The Senshi paused for a moment, looking around to see the source of the attack. Two tall figures, one teal-haired, the other blonde, walked through the clearing mist of the attack, heading towards the group of Senshi. As they approached, Sailor Moon's lips tightened into a line. She did _not_ want to deal with them condescending her right now.

"If you're here to tell me to leave this fight to you, or that I'm incompetent, don't waste your breath," she said. "I'm not leaving."

"Actually," the teal-haired one—Neptune, Sailor Moon remembered—said. "We are here to accept your offer to be a part of your team."

Sailor Moon did a double take at that. She had never really expected them to accept her offer, especially not after so much time had passed without a single word from them. "Uh… okay."

"We'll discuss later," Uranus said, cracking her knuckles. "For now, we fight."

"What's the situation here?" Neptune asked Mercury.

"The youma is resilient to magic attacks, but its skin is highly poisonous, so a physical attack isn't a good idea. Its attacks consist of incredibly strong and sharp spikes it shoots from its shoulders, as well as a poisonous gelatinous substance that it spits from its mouth.

"Additionally, it has the power to replicate itself. Each copy possesses the exact same strengths and abilities, but their existence is tied to the first. If we figure out which one that is and eliminate it, the others will disappear."

Neptune nodded. "Deep Submerge!"

As if sensing her partner's attack, Uranus sent her own power at the exact same time. "World Shaking!"

Sailor Moon was again struck by the sheer power of their attacks. She was immensely grateful that they had chosen to fight alongside her; they would have made very fearsome enemies.

Shaking her head, she turned to a youma, which was advancing towards her. She could ask them more about who they were later, for now she needed to focus on the fight.

"Sailor Moon, look out!" Venus cried. "Behind you!

Sailor Moon whirled around and came face-to-face with another youma, its spikes already starting to leave its body. She had no time to react; all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut in terror. But before she could be impaled, she was suddenly airborne.

Over the sound of her pounding heart, she could hear ragged breathing, and two hands gripped her arms tightly. She inhaled through her nose, and breathed in the familiar scent of rose, lemon and a hint of sandalwood. _Mamoru_. For one second, she let herself enjoy being in his arms. For one second, she let herself forget about the breakup, and the mess her life had become. For just one second, she let herself pretend things were the way they used to be.

But then the moment was over.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, concern evident in those deep blue eyes she loved so much.

"Fine," she snapped, wincing slightly when his expression hardened at her tone. She hadn't quite meant to be so abrupt… but really, what did he expect? That he could break her heart but continue to sweep her off her feet and show concern and she would, what? Bat her eyelashes and thank him profusely?

"You shouldn't be fighting," he said. "You're still wounded."

"I'm _fine_," she said again. It was only a small lie, she _was_ basically fine. Or at least she would be, once they dusted the youma, and she could go home and rest. "Now I really need to be getting back."

"Fine," he said, his tone equally curt. "Since you clearly have no regard for your own life, or the feelings of those who care about you, I won't stop you."

"Those who _care_ about me?" Sailor Moon exploded. "What, is that supposed to include you? Because last time I checked, _Mamoru-san_, you broke my freaking heart. You're the one who suddenly broke up with me, saying you didn't feel the same way. And in case you haven't noticed, my life has gotten _very_ crazy lately, and it would have been so much easier to deal with if you were still at my side. But you're not, and that was entirely your decision. So forgive me if I'd rather save the world than stay here with you. If you're looking for someone to play the damsel in distress, that's not me. It never has been."

With that, she stormed off, not bothering to look back at Mamoru's gaping expression. She was so, so tired, and she wanted to be done with this. She had a job to do.

* * *

She headed back into the fray of battle, trying to push all thoughts of Mamoru out of her head. Looking around, she quickly surveilled the situation. Mercury was frantically typing away at her computer, Uranus and Jupiter had teamed up against a youma, and Neptune, Mars and Venus were all battling the other youmas.

"What do you have, Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked as she approached.

"Sailor Moon!" Mercury said. "Thank Kami you're all right. I'm still trying to nail down which youma is the original… it's so hard to nail down, but… aha! I got it! The youma closest to Jupiter and Uranus is the original one."

The Senshi turned their attention to the youma in question, trying to manage the other youmas at the same time.

"So if I destroy that one, all the rest will disappear?" Sailor Moon asked, wanting to make sure she understood.

Mercury nodded. "That's correct. But be careful, the attacks are all very real."

But Sailor Moon had stopped listening the second Mercury confirmed what she needed to hear, and she was picking her way through the battlefield, her sights entirely focused on the youma Jupiter and Uranus were battling. Out of nowhere, a volley of spikes came flying towards her, and she dropped to the ground in an effort to avoid them.

As she got to her feet, she found herself right in the path of another youma attack. But before she had a chance to defend herself or get out of the way, Tuxedo Kamen was suddenly in front of her, his cape swept around them both to protect them from the attack.

"Just go," he snarled. "But don't think this conversation is over."

"Fine," she replied, her voice as cold and hard as ice. She had a clear shot of the youma now, so she pulled out her scepter, and poured all her energy into it, hoping it had been damaged enough already by the Senshi's attacks.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!"

The youma howled and slowly turned to a dust. For a second, nothing else happened, but then the other youmas blinked out of existence, not even leaving a pile of dust behind, as if they had never been there at all.

Sailor Moon was suddenly aware of a sharp pain in her side, and she gasped, falling to her knees as she wildly clutched at it. Before her knees could hit the ground, two strong hands grabbed her arms, pulling her up, and she was brought face-to-face with white-hot fury in Tuxedo Kamen's eyes.

"You're bleeding," he growled. "Clearly, this fight was too much for you, and it caused your wound to open up again. What the hell were you thinking, letting her fight?" He turned to the Senshi, his hands shaking.

"Excuse me?" Sailor Moon gasped out through the pain. "It's not their decision whether or not I fight, and I'm standing right here, so I'd appreciate it if you talk _to_ me and not _about_ me. I'm Sailor Moon, you baka. It's not like I can just take a rest day, or sit out a battle because I don't feel like it."

"This is completely different!" he barked. "You're _injured_. You nearly _died,_ Usako, and—" he broke off abruptly. There was a long, awkward silence that seemed to stretch on forever as the Senshi all gaped at Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, and no one dared to speak up.

Sailor Moon pressed her lips into a thin line to hide the fact that they were trembling. Usako? He never called her that anymore. It was always Usagi-san now.

"You can't do this to me," she said quietly, so only he would hear. "If you don't love me, just say so. Tell me you never loved me, and just walk away, right now. But you can't keep doing…. _this_. Sometimes I look at you, and for just a second before you look away, I feel like I can see that you still love me. And then… when you called me Usako…" her voice broke on the word, and she bit down on her tongue, hard, to keep herself from crying. She couldn't, not now.

"You need to make a choice, Mamoru. If you love me, then whatever's going on, we can get through it together. But if you don't, or if you never did…. Just walk away now, and leave me alone. Because I don't know how to feel or act and it's _killing_ me."

"I can't," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I can't say I never loved you. But I can't be with you, either." Slowly, as if it took a great effort, he dropped his hands from her arms and turned to walk away.

"But why?" she called out after him. "Mamoru! _Mamoru_!" And this time she couldn't keep the tears from falling as she fell to her knees and pressed a trembling hand to her mouth.

* * *

**AN: So at least that's not a big evil cliffie like last chapter, right? :P Anyways, please leave a review to let me know what you think, and I'll do my best to get a new chapter up very soon!**


	10. Identities Discovered

**AN: Gaaaah. You guys, I am so sorry about this huge delay in update. I have been so ridiculously blocked, every time I sat down to write, I just couldn't make it work. But the good news is, I think I broke through that with this chapter, so the next update should be much quicker! :)**

**As always, many thanks to my amazing reviewers: MissFiyerabaMeponineWholock, TheCookieThatWasBaked, gabeliz . castillocarin, maryyorke, tryntee13, lilymoon80, and slightlyxjaded. Much love to all. Please keep being awesome and review!**

* * *

"I am going to kill him," Mars announced. "I am going to rip that baka into pieces, I swear to Kami, I will _destroy_ him. When I'm through, there won't be anything left."

"Mars…" Sailor Moon said, sniffling a bit as she wiped a way her tears.

"What?" the fire Senshi asked. "How can you let him treat you like that? It's bad enough that he breaks up with you out of nowhere, but for him to keep showing up like this? It's inexcusable!"

"_Mars_," Sailor Moon said again, her tone harsher this time. "Are you also going to tell me what I should do? Do I need to remind you, too, that I am my own person and perfectly capable of making my own decisions and what I want?"

Mars hung her head. "Of course not. It just… it bothers me to see you so upset. He's not worth your tears."

Sailor Moon gave a watery smile. "I know. And I appreciate your support, I really do. But I don't want Tuxedo Kamen dead."

"If you ever do, just say the word."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, her lips twitching into a smirk.

"Um…" Jupiter started to say. "I don't know if you guys realized this, but… they're still here." She jerked her head over to Neptune and Uranus, who had been watching the whole exchange with a mixture of confusion, discomfort and amusement on their faces.

"Ah…" Sailor Moon said, chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully, and trying to keep the panic and embarrassment out of her face. In all the chaos and drama with Tuxedo Kamen, she had forgotten about the new Senshi.

"Did he say 'Usako'?" Uranus asked.

"Ah, yes…" Sailor Moon said, her face flushing. It was bad enough for her friends to be witness to her tiff with Tuxedo Kamen, she would have liked to keep things just between them. But for these two strangers to have witnessed such an awkward, intimate moment? It made her more than a little self-conscious.

"And Mamoru…" Neptune pursed her lips. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"I, uh…" Sailor Moon trailed off, trying to decide the best course of action. The Senshi had agreed to be part of their team, fully. Would it be a problem to reveal their identities? If they wanted to work together seamlessly, they couldn't keep secrets from each other… and that included their real identities.

Squaring her shoulders, she drew herself up to her full height, and turned to face Sailor Uranus and Neptune. "I hadn't initially been planning to do this so soon. But perhaps it would be best if we reveal our true identities to each other. If we are to truly be a team, I will need to know that I can trust you completely and rely on you no matter what. That's not possible with secrets between us. Maybe starting with our civilian identities is the first step to getting rid of secrets."

The two new Senshi shared a hesitant look with each other, before turning back to Sailor Moon.

"Fine," Uranus said coolly. "We will agree to that."

"Well, then," Sailor Moon said, turning to her team. "Here goes, I guess."

With one last glance at the new Senshi, she dropped her transformation, and was aware of her friends behind her doing the same. In front of her, there was a brief flash of light, as Uranus and Neptune switched to their civilian identities.

"_Odango?!"_

Usagi gaped at what she saw in front of her. Haruka and Michiru were Sailors Uranus and Neptune?

"I…" she trailed off. "I was not expecting this."

"You're Sailor Moon?" Haruka shook her head. "I can't believe this."

"Yes, it is a lot to take in for all of us," Usagi mused, chewing on her lower lip. "Perhaps we should go somewhere quiet, discuss things a bit. Rei, is the shrine available?"

The priestess nodded her head. "It should be quiet today."

"Do you know the Hikawa Shrine?" Usagi asked Haruka and Michiru, and they nodded in affirmation. "Good. We'll meet up there in ten minutes."

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were all gathered at the Hikawa Shrine, standing around awkwardly as no one said anything. The tension in the room was palpable. Usagi sighed, wrapping her hands more tightly around the mug of tea she was holding.

"Well," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "Here we are. I'm Sailor Moon, you guys are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune…"

Silence.

Usagi sighed again. "Come on, isn't somebody going to say _something_? Or should we just get over this and go back to our lives?"

"So, if you're Sailor Moon, then that means that Tux-boy is…" Haruka started to say.

"Mamoru, yes. My… ex-boyfriend."

Haruka cocked her head. "What happened between you two?"

"We broke up," Usagi said flatly, her tone making it clear that that particular subject was not up for discussion.

"Why are you seeking the Black Moon Clan?" Makoto asked. "What's your purpose, your mission? Surely, now that we're a team, you can tell us."

Michiru pursed her lips. "The Black Moon Clan seeks to destroy the Crystal Tokyo of the future."

"Wait, what?" Minako asked. "Future? And what's Crystal Tokyo?"

"Many years in the future, we don't know exactly when, a utopian society called Crystal Tokyo is created. It's ruled by a benevolent Queen and King, and the Sailor Senshi are the Queen's guardians. The Black Moon Clan tried to attack, but they were easily repelled. It's why they've come to the past, they seek to kill the Queen in the past before she forms Crystal Tokyo. Additionally, the princess from the future has fled to this timeline, and the enemy seeks to kill her as well. We have been tasked with protecting them both."

"You asked once why we've never made our presence known before," Haruka said. "There are many threats that this world faces, both internal and external. We have always been tasked with dealing with the outside threats, but this mission is too important. We must protect the royal line at all costs; if the future Queen dies, the results would be devastating."

"Tasked by who?" Usagi asked, rubbing her temple. She was starting to get a headache from all this confusing talk about the future. "How do you know all this?"

"There's another Sailor Senshi," Michiru. "She is the Senshi of Time; she sees everything, past, present and future. She is the one who set us on this mission, as she could see that the royal line was in danger."

"The princess from the future…" Usagi mused. "Do you think that could be Chibiusa? We know she's from the 30th century, and we know the enemy is after her. It would make sense."

Michiru nodded. "That's the conclusion we've come to as well."

"Well," Usagi said, unsure of what else to say. "That explains things, I suppose. Is there anything else?"

No one spoke.

"I guess that settles it, then. I'm glad you two agreed to join our team, I know you will be useful allies."

"Indeed," Michiru said. "Until next time." She gave a polite nod, and then she and Haruka left.

"Chibiusa is a princess?" Makoto said, shaking her head. "I guess that's why the Black Moon Clan is targeting her."

"What do we do now?" Rei asked.

Usagi took a deep breath and then released it all at once. "I don't know," she admitted. "We keep protecting Chibiusa, of course. Keeping her safe is our top priority. At least know we know _why_ the enemy is targeting her. It isn't much, but it's something."

"We should keep researching the Black Moon Clan," Ami said. "Any information we can gain will be an advantage. Now that we know why they're here and why they're targeting Chibiusa, perhaps we can find out more. I'll speak to Luna and Artemis about it."

Rei nodded. "I can consult the Great Fire."

"Good," Usagi said. "The enemy has always been several steps ahead of us, and I don't like it. It's time we caught up."

* * *

Rei sat in front of the Great Fire; her hands clasped tightly together, her eyes shut in concentration as she focused only on the meditation.

"_Please,"_ she thought. _"Reveal your secrets to me!"_

She opened her eyes, but the fire was just a fire. A second later, it shimmered, and something started to come into focus. Rei inhaled sharply. What was it trying to show? Peering into the flames, she could make out a man's face. He had sandy blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and a rakish smile across his face. Who was he? Was he part of the Black Moon Clan?

The image shimmered once more, and suddenly it was gone, along with the fire, the room, and everything else.

_She's sitting on the edge of a cliff, her legs dangling over the edge, watching the amazing display of colors as the sun set right in front of her eyes._

"_It's pretty spectacular, isn't it?" he asks, and she tears her eyes away from it for a second to look up at the man sitting beside her._

"_It's incredible," she breathes. "I didn't know the sky could make so many colors! We have artificial sunsets on the moon, but they're so pale and drab in comparison."_

"_Mm," he agrees, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. "I thought you might like it. I've always thought it looks like the sky is on fire, and well, since you're the Senshi of Fire… it kind of reminded me of you." The words come out in a bit of a rush, and she spies a blush on his cheek._

"_For Kami's sake, when did you get so sentimental?" she asks, pushing him playfully. _

"_I'm only sentimental around you," he says, grinning broadly._

"_You're hopeless," she says, rolling her eyes as he pulls her in for a kiss. She'd never admit it, of course, she had far too much pride, but… what he had said about the sunset reminding him of her was quite possibly the sweetest thing she'd ever heard. And she loved it._

The room came into view once more, and Rei blinked rapidly, trying to clear the image from her mind. What had just happened? Who were those people? It had seemed like herself, but she didn't remember any of it… and who was that man? Why had the Great Fire shown her this? Before she had a chance to try and make sense of it, the image shimmered once more.

_She scanned the battlefield, desperately looking for any sign of him. Surely he couldn't be… she couldn't bring herself to finish that thought. He _had _to be alive. He just had to. She heard a noise behind her, and spun around, ready to attack whatever or whoever it was, but when she saw who it was, she dropped her guard._

"_You're alive!" she said, flinging herself into his arms. "Thank Kami. I was so worried."_

_He placed his hands on her shoulders, and roughly shoved her away._

"_Wha-?" she stumbled away from him, falling to the ground. "I won't understand. What's going on?"_

"_You disgust me," he spat out. "You and your kind will be annihilated at the hands of the Dark Kingdom and the mighty Queen Beryl." As he spoke, flames shot out of his hands, creating a circle of fire around her._

"_No," she whispered. "Please, _no_!"_

_The flames rose higher and the circle narrowed. She could feel the blistering heat on her arms, and thick, black smoke choked her lungs. Scrambling to her feet, she burst through the wall of flame, escaping her prison of fire. As she quickly stamped out the flames that clung to her, she turned to him._

"_Why?" she took a hesitant step towards him, her arm outstretched. "Please, whatever she's done to you, I know you're still in there somewhere. You have to remember all the things we've shared. Remember _me_."_

_He smacked her hand away, his own hands reaching towards her stomach as he viciously shoved her, flames erupting from him and burning her skin. She leapt to her feet, sudden determination giving her strength. _

_If he couldn't be reasoned with, that left only one option, despite how much she hated it. Quick as a flash, she unsheathed her dagger, and lunged towards him, but he was faster, and dodged her blow. He grabbed the hilt of the dagger over her hand, and there was a momentary struggle as they both fought for control._

_But he was stronger, and he turned the dagger around, shoving it into her stomach. Her eyes widened at the pain, and she stumbled back, her hands clutched to her wound, a thin trail of blood dribbling out of the side of her mouth. She knew she would be dead soon, but she refused to let him win. Wrenching the dagger from her stomach, she leapt forward with a final burst of strength, and drove the dagger straight into his heart._

Rei gasped, stumbling backwards, her arms outstretched in front of her, as if putting physical distance between herself and the fire could make her forget what she'd just seen.

What in the name of Kami was _that_? Her hands grasped at her stomach, where just moments ago there'd been a mortal wound. The acrid smell of smoke and burning flesh still lingered in the air. Her eyes were watering, her head was swimming, her heart was pounding, and oh god, she felt sick.

She fell to her knees, panting and dry heaving as she tried to make sense of the two drastically different scenes that had just played out. There was something so achingly familiar about that man… she shivered, despite the warm temperature in the room, and curled into a ball on the floor. If that had indeed been her… was it past? Future? Something else entirely? She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.

* * *

Usagi sat in her room, poring over various summaries of who the Black Moon Clan was and what they wanted that Luna, Ami and Artemis had compiled. The words were all starting to blur together, and she groaned. She wanted to have a chance to talk to Chibiusa about it, but she was spending the night at Mamoru's again.

Much as Usagi hated to admit it, it made her jealous.

It was silly and childish, but she was jealous. She was jealous that Mamoru loved Chibiusa when he didn't love her, and she was jealous that Chibiusa was always spending so much time with Mamoru. It made her feel inadequate.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she looked down at the reports again, and groaned. She was so sick of this. She was sick of the fighting and the strategizing and the worrying and the nearly dying… she was sick of all of it.

Glancing at the clock on her end table, a thought occurred to her. Everyone had been working so hard lately, and they deserved a break. It was only mid-afternoon, there was still time before the shops closed. Perhaps a brief shopping expedition, something to take her mind off all the stress, would perk her up. And she was sure that the other Senshi could use a reprieve as well.

Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed Minako's number. It rang for a few seconds, and then a moment later she picked up.

"Hey, Usagi!" Minako said. "What's up?"

"I need a break," she said. "I am tired and stressed out, and everything is driving me crazy. I desperately need a little pick me up, so I was hoping we could all go for some retail therapy and blow off some steam."

"You know what?" Minako said. "That sounds like a fantastic idea. We all could use a break. Should we meet at the mall in fifteen minutes?"

"Perfect."

After she hung up, Usagi dialed Rei next.

"Rei!" she said when the girl picked up the phone. "We're all going out for a quick shopping trip to relieve some stress. Can you join?"

"Sorry, Usagi," Rei said. "I'm… I'm not feeling well. I don't think I'll be able to go."

"Oh no!" Usagi exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I've just come down with a cold or something."

Usagi frowned. Something didn't sound right with Rei. But she knew better than to press the issue, if something was going on, Rei would reveal it when she felt ready.

"Okay. Well, I hope you feel better!"

"Thanks," Rei said, her voice sounding distant and detached.

Usagi pursed her lips as Rei hung up. Clearly _something_ was going on, but what? Shaking her head, she refocused. Worrying about Rei would get her nowhere.

* * *

A little over an hour later, Minako sighed contentedly. She'd been glad when Usagi had called her up to suggest this, she hadn't realized how stressed she'd been lately. She dreamt of Kunzite almost every night. Sometimes it was past memories returning, other times it just seemed like a simple dream. But he was always there.

And then with the Black Moon Clan, and learning who the new Senshi really were… it was all giving her a headache. So, she was very glad to have one arm weighed down with a shopping bag and the other hand clutching an ice cream cone.

"Mm," Usagi said, savoring the last of her ice cream. "I wish our lives could be like this more often. No fighting for our lives all the time, no stress and anxiety and trauma…"

"Yeah," Makoto affirmed. "It's been pretty rough lately, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has," Ami said. "Even I feel like taking a break from all this."

Minako smiled, and looped her arm through Ami's. "What, the great Ami Mizuno gets tired of working sometimes? Is such a thing possible?"

Ami rolled her eyes. "I'm still human, you know."

Minako was about to say something else, when a flash of silver in the distance caught her eye. Turning towards it, she saw a man with long silver-white hair. She blinked quickly, trying to get ride of the image. She had to stop hallucinating Kunzite everywhere she went; this wasn't the first time she'd 'seen' him. But this time, the image didn't go away.

"_No…_"she thought. _"It can't be…"_ She silently willed him to turn around, to prove her wrong. And ever so slowly, as if he could read her thoughts, he did turn around. And Minako fell to her knees.

"No no no no no," she muttered, her hands tugging at her hair as she vehemently shook her head. "It can't be it can't be it can't be, it's not possible, this is just a dream, it can't be…" she spoke the words like a mantra.

"Minako?" Usagi asked, her voice full of alarm. "Are you okay? What's going on?" She dropped to her knees in front of Minako and shook her shoulder gently, but Minako was hardly aware of it.

In the distance, the silver-haired man was still looking directly at her, and she felt like screaming. Maybe she was screaming, she wasn't really sure anymore. She couldn't think, couldn't function, couldn't do anything except stare at him in horror. Because it was impossible. Kunzite couldn't be back, he couldn't be alive. _She had killed him!_ And yet, there he was, standing ten feet away from her.

* * *

**AN: Sorry, I keep ending these chapters on cliffhangers. I'm not doing it on purpose! Anyways, please review to let me know what you think! :)**


	11. The End of an Era

**AN: Well, this took a little longer than I'd hoped, as I ended up being out of town for awhile. But nonetheless, here it is, after not too long of a delay! And this is a pretty action-packed chapter, so let's hope that makes up for the slight delay. :)**

**As always, a million thanks and more to my reviewers: Sage McGavin, MissFieyrabaMeponineWholock, lilymoon80, gabeliz . castillocarin, slightlyxjaded, and Sailor Nerd. You guys are awesome.**

* * *

"Minako? Minako!" Usagi waved a hand in front of her friend's face.

"What's going on?" Makoto asked.

"He's back," Minako whispered.

"Who? Who's back?" Ami asked. But Minako just shook her head, her face white as a sheet, not saying anything else.

"Let's get her back to the base," Ami said. "Maybe she'll calm down a little bit once we get her away from whatever caused this."

Usagi looked around, trying to see if she could find whatever made her friend so upset, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Makoto hauled Minako to her feet, and they all hurried off the Arcade, half dragging, half carrying Minako as she continued to mutter incoherently.

By the time they got to the Arcade, and quickly descended into their base, Minako had quieted some. She was no longer muttering to herself or clutching her head, but her face was still ashen and her eyes were still wide and haunted. Ami frowned at Minako's disheveled appearance, marched her over to a chair, and sat her down.

"Take this," she said, handing Minako a blanket from the cot in the infirmary area. She looked over Minako once more, pursed her lips and shook her head.

"Do you want to say what that was all about?" Ami asked as she made herself busy with the electric teakettle.

"He's back," she said hoarsely.

"Yes, you said that," Usagi said, propping her elbows up on her knees as she leaned forward. "But who? Who's back?"

"I…" Minako trailed off, swallowing audibly.

"Please, just tell us what's going on," Usagi pleaded. "You've been distant for a while now, zoning out during Senshi meetings, and you have this awful, haunted look in your eyes all the time. You're our friend, Minako. Can't you just tell us what's going on?"

"I don't really know where to start," Minako admitted, her voice cracking a little.

"How about the beginning?" Rei asked. Everyone turned to look at her, as she descended the stairs into the base.

"Usagi sent me a message, said there was a crisis with Minako," she said, offering up a weak smile. "I figured I should be here."

Usagi examined her friend. Rei was pale and looked shaken, she had obviously been telling the truth when she said she wasn't feeling well. But her concern over Rei would have to wait; Minako needed their help right now.

"The beginning…" Minako sighed, shook her head. "It's not as simple as that. But I'll try."

The teakettle whistled, and Ami prepared a mug, then pushed it into Minako's hands. "Drink this. It's chamomile, it will help."

"Thanks," Minako said, taking a hesitant sip from the mug. "I guess the beginning would be back in the Silver Millennium. How much do you all remember about our past lives?"

"A decent amount, I suppose," Makoto said, frowning. "I don't know, I haven't thought about it much. I remember the basics, of course. I remember we were the guardians of Princess Serenity, I remember that we served Queen Serenity…"

The other nodded their assent.

"Do you remember the Shitennou?" Minako asked. "When we fought the Dark Kingdom just last year."

"Of course," Ami said. "Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Kunzite. The four Holy Shitennou of the Dark Kingdom."

"Exactly," Minako said. "Except… there's more to it than that."

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked. "What else is going on?"

"I… I can't…" Minako pressed her lips together to try and steady her voice. She took another sip of the tea, then spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're coming back. They _are_ back."

"The Shitennou?" Rei raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How? We killed them, we defeated Queen Beryl, we destroyed the Dark Kingdom… how could they possibly be coming back?"

"It's… well, it's complicated," Minako said. She shivered, and pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders. "I don't know how they're coming back, or why they're coming back now, when it's been so long. But the Shitennou are no longer involved with the Dark Kingdom. They're no longer…. evil."

"What do you mean?" Ami asked quietly.

"What I mean is… the Shitennou were brainwashed," Minako said. "Similar to how Mamoru was brainwashed into working for Queen Beryl."

Usagi shuddered at the memory, and Minako gave her a sympathetic glance.

"Back in the Silver Millennium, the Shitennou were the guardians of Prince Endymion, similar to how we were the guardians of Princess Serenity. As Serenity kept sneaking off to Earth to meet with the Prince, we followed, and became acquainted with the Shitennou. And, eventually…"

"No…" Rei said, shaking her head. "_No_. Don't you dare, Minako. Don't you _dare_ say that's who he is. Just don't."

"So, you remember, then," Minako said, meeting Rei's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"No…" Rei trailed off and clasped a hand to her mouth in horror, her eyes wide. "I can't… this can't be real."

Usagi looked between her two friends with confusion. "What's going on?"

Minako took a deep breath. "In our past lives, we were in love with the Shitennou. And now they're returning."

"Oh," Ami said quietly. "I see."

"Our past memories have slowly been returning," Minako said. "For several weeks now, I've been plagued by dreams of this mysterious man. I didn't know who he was at first, I just felt like I knew him somehow. As more memories returned, I realized what it was. Who he was."

"I'm not sure I understand…" Makoto said slowly, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "So, in our past lives we were in love with the Shitennou… and now they're returning… how is that a problem? Wouldn't that be a _good_ thing?"

"It's… well, it's a little more complicated than that," Minako said. "I wish I could explain, but I can't. It's something that needs to be experienced. As your memories return, you'll understand. I don't know why our memories are only returning now, and why it's not the same for all of us, but I have to believe there is some reason for it."

Makoto let out a breath. "Okay, then. I guess… I guess that's that."

"I'm sorry," Minako said, sniffling a little and clutching her mug of tea. "I know there are more important things to be worrying about, like the Black Moon Clan, but…"

"Hey, it's okay," Usagi said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Whatever is going on with the Shitennou, it's important to you. All of you. I understand that. I've been wrapped up in all the drama with Mamoru, so I certainly don't expect you to be singularly focused on defeating the Black Moon Clan."

"Thank you," Minako said, putting her hand on top of Usagi's. "I really appreciate it. More than I can say."

* * *

"Rubeus! Explain yourself!"

Rubeus winced at Prince Demande's harsh tone. "My liege… the Sailor Senshi have proved to be rather… difficult, more so than we'd anticipated. Even in this less advanced age, they are still formidable foes."

"I have heard this all before, and my patience is wearing thin," Demande said. "Did you not claim you had the perfect trap to lure out the Rabbit? You have failed me every time, Rubeus. I have put up with your incompetence because we are like a family, but I am not a man of infinite patience. This is your last chance. Capture the Rabbit, kill the Senshi, bring me the future Neo-Queen Serenity. Do _something_ to prove your worth, or you are finished."

"I understand, my liege," Rubeus said, bowing deeply. He thought of Esmeraude's grating laugh, of how smug she would be if he failed, and his hands tightened into fists. This time, he wouldn't fail. He had underestimated the Senshi before, but no more. He would not fail his prince.

* * *

"Mamoru-san." Usagi politely nodded. It was the next morning, and she was picking up Chibiusa.

"Usagi-san," he said back, equally stiff and polite. "Chibiusa!" he called. "Time to go, Usagi is here."

The little girl came bursting out the door, and Usagi had to smile at her endless energy. Whatever else was going on, she was glad Chibiusa had some opportunities to just be a kid. No six-year-old deserved to go through what Chibiusa was going through.

"Hi," Chibiusa said a little shyly.

"Hi," Usagi said back. "Are you ready to go?"

The little girl nodded her head, and Usagi turned back to Mamoru, her smile fading as she forced her tone to sound polite and normal, and not betray all the feelings she had for the man in front of her. She wished he wasn't so good, so gentle, with Chibiusa. It only made her ache for him even more.

"Thank you for taking care of Chibiusa," she said. "I hope she wasn't any trouble."

"Of course," he said. "It was my pleasure, she's never any trouble at all."

"Won't you stay for a bit?" Chibiusa asked, tugging on Usagi's sleeve. "Please? We could play a game together."

But Usagi was already shaking her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. There are things I need to do today."

"And I have class," Mamoru said, kneeling down to ruffle Chibiusa's hair. "But I'll see you on Friday, okay?"

Usagi had to fight a smile as she thought about the ridiculousness of the situation. She felt like one half of a divorced couple, constantly dropping Chibiusa off and picking her up from Mamoru's, as the girl split her time between the two places.

Every time, she'd ask Usagi to come in, but every time she declined. She didn't think she could stand seeing Mamoru and Chibiusa interact while she tried to pretend like it didn't matter. Besides, she was sure Mamoru didn't want her there.

"Come on," she said, grabbing the girl's hand. "We need to get back to my place."

"Bye!" Chibiusa called as they walked away. "See you later!"

"So!" Usagi said, a little too brightly. "Did you have a good time?"

"Mm-hmm," Chibiusa said. "We made curry for dinner. And then Mamoru taught me how to play mancala."

"That sounds nice," Usagi said. "So—" Her words were cut off by a shrill, piercing scream.

"Stay behind me!" she shouted, pushing Chibiusa behind her. She could see the youma up ahead; it was large and reptilian in appearance. It looked almost like what she imagined a dragon would look like. Large and long, with giant fangs, and a penchant for breathing fire.

The dragon-like youma sniffed the air, and then turned to face Usagi and Chibiusa. In the blink of an eye, it was by their side, and Usagi shoved Chibiusa out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blaze of flame herself. Clearly, telling Chibiusa to run wasn't an option here. It was too fast.

"It's okay," she said, throwing an arm out in front of Chibiusa, keeping a careful eye on the youma. "Whatever you do, don't draw its attention, alright?"

Chibiusa whimpered and nodded. "Okay. What are you going to do?"

Usagi smiled a little. "I'm going to call for backup. And then, I'm going to show the Black Moon Clan that they are done messing with me."

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!" She savored the familiar rush of power, the energy singing through her veins. She was tired of being in the dark about the Black Moon Clan. She was tired of them hunting down Chibiusa, she was tired of feeling helpless and out of control. She was just _so tired_. She was ready to end things.

"You're…. you're Sailor Moon?" Chibiusa gasped.

"Yes, I am," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I have to keep my identity secret from everyone."

The little girl wrapped her arms around Sailor Moon's waist. "Thank you."

Sailor Moon smiled. "You are most welcome." Carefully, she detached herself from Chibiusa's embrace, and pulled out her communicator. "There's a youma downtown. About two blocks east of Mamoru's apartment."

"On our way!" Rei said from the other end.

Sailor Moon squared off against the youma, keeping Chibiusa behind her. After its initial attack on them, it had turned its attention back to the civilians.

"Preying on the weak is cowardly," she said. "I am your foe, fight me if you dare."

The dragon youma turned towards her again and smiled, baring its fangs, which dripped with venom. Again, it was by her side in a flash, and she stumbled backwards to avoid its fangs. Still, one of them managed to graze her arm, and she winced.

Cursing, she drew out her scepter. This thing was _fast_. She wouldn't be able to hold it off very well until the other Senshi arrived, especially since her attention was divided between the youma and keeping Chibiusa safe.

"World Shaking!"

The ball of light slammed into the dragon and it recoiled in pain. Sailor Moon gave a look of relief towards the two new Senshi. Since they were so new to the team, she hadn't had any way of contacting them, and so she wasn't sure they'd show up.

"You alright?" Uranus asked.

Sailor Moon nodded. "Please, look after Chibiusa. I can't focus on the fight properly if I have to worry about her."

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe," Neptune said, grabbing the little girl's hand, and pulling her further away from the youma. "You focus on the fight."

Sailor Moon didn't have a chance to thank her, as the youma swept out its long tail and knocked her off her feet. She thrust her scepter in front of her, blocking the youma as it tried to sink its fangs into her shoulder.

"Aaah!" she gave a cry as the tip of its fang pierced her shoulder and she shoved it off of her.

"Shabon Spray!"

"Thank Kami you're here," Sailor Moon said, holding a hand to her inured shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Mercury asked.

Sailor Moon nodded. "It didn't get me very deep. Got any useful information on this thing?"

"On it." She whipped out her computer and began typing away.

"Crescent Beam!" Venus had barely gotten the words out when the youma, which had been many feet away, suddenly appeared at her side, and wrapped its long tail around her waist.

"Venus!" Sailor Moon cried out, rushing towards the youma. But even though it had its tail wrapped around Venus, it was still perfectly capable of attacking, and she had to drop to the ground to avoid a fireball.

"Aaaah!" Chibiusa shrieked, and Sailor Moon hauled herself to her feet to see what was the matter.

"Deep Submerge!"

Another youma had appeared from behind Neptune and Chibiusa. This one had a hard shell covered in spikes and the head of a woman.

"Chibiusa!" Sailor Moon cried out.

"I've got it covered," Neptune said. "You focus on Venus."

Venus, still wrapped in the grip of the dragon youma was struggling to free herself from its hold as it squeezed her tighter and tighter.

Out of nowhere, a ball of light slammed into the youma and Venus fell to her knees, gasping for air. Sailor Moon looked around in confusion. Mercury was still researching the youma—now both youmas—for any weaknesses. Neptune and Mars were shielding Chibiusa while Jupiter and Uranus fought the new youma. Who had saved Venus?

But there was no time to worry about that. There were two youmas to fight, and she wasn't going to give in so easily. She pulled out her scepter, ready to end it all, when the dragon youma was upon her. Its mouth opened and she could see the fireball forming, but she was backed up against a building with nowhere to go.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars cried out as she saw the situation unfold.

Just as she felt a wave of blistering heat, she was suddenly airborne. Tuxedo Kamen. Of course. He'd always had a knack for saving her at the last second.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Get Chibiusa out of here," she said in response. "We'll keep the youmas distracted as best we can. Take her and _run_."

He frowned. "You're injured."

She brushed off his hand, which was examining the puncture wound in her shoulder and the long, shallow cut on her arm. "I'm _fine_. Didn't you hear me? Chibiusa is here, and she's in danger. Get her out of her _now_!"

He nodded. "Understood."

He set her down with some reluctance, and then ran off to where Mars, Neptune and Venus had formed a protective circle around Chibiusa.

"Anything?" Sailor Moon asked as she walked up next to Mercury.

Mercury sighed and turned off her computer. "I'm afraid there isn't much. These are both incredibly powerful youmas. They have no obvious elemental weakness, or any vulnerabilities that I can see, even after a complete scan."

Sailor Moon gritted her teeth. "Thanks anyways." She took a deep breath to steel herself, and then headed over towards the dragon youma. She hoped and prayed that it had been weakened enough for this to work.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!"

With one last final shriek, the youma dissolved into moon dust, and Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of relief. One down, one to go.

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Burning Mandala!"

The electric-charged fire hit the youma dead on, and it screamed in pain. Sailor Moon stepped forward to join in the fight, but she stumbled. Frowning, she got to her feet again. Why did her limbs feel so heavy? And why was her vision going blurry?

Suddenly, it hit her. The dragon youma sunk its venomous fangs into her shoulder. It hadn't been a very deep wound, but it was clearly enough to spread the poison. Shuddering, she tried to focus. She had to end this,and soon. Her own healing powers could cleanse some of the poison out of the system, but she wouldn't be able to completely heal until Mercury could craft an antidote.

She closed her eyes and focused on the venom. She could feel it running through her veins, poisoning her, killing her. She focused on eradicating it, and slowly her vision started to clear. She felt tired and worn out, but at least she could see clearly now and her limbs didn't feel so heavy.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" As Mercury's attack hit the youma, Sailor Moon pulled out her scepter again.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" At last, the youma crumbled into moon dust. Thank Kami it was over.

"Is that the best you can do?"

Everyone looked around for the source of the voice, and Sailor Moon groaned inwardly when she saw the red-haired man from the Black Moon Clan who'd shown his face once before. She was tired, she was slowly being poisoned, and she wanted to be _done_.

"The famous Sailor Senshi," he mocked. "And you're worn out from my two little droids? Take this!"

A blast of dark energy came hurtling towards them, and everyone had to dive out of the way. Sailor Moon struggled to her feet, and then fell again. Why couldn't she move her legs?

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen was by her side, and she wondered when that had happened. Hadn't he been somewhere else? With a sudden burst of clarity, she realized the poison was starting to take effect again.

"The venom from the dragon youma," she said. "I've been poisoned."

Tuxedo Kamen swore loudly and fluently. He placed his hands on her shoulder, where the fang had pierced her, and she felt a warm glow spread through her body. Her mind cleared and feeling came back into her limbs.

"Where's Chibiusa?" she asked, remembering why Tuxedo Kamen had left in the first place.

"Safe back at your house," he said as he lowered his hands. At her skeptical look, he continued. "I made absolutely sure there were no youmas nearby and that no one followed us. She is safe, I promise you."

Reluctantly, Sailor Moon nodded. She trusted him, if only with Chibiusa's safety.

"The venom is still in your system," he said. "So be careful."

"I always am."

This time it was his turn to give her a skeptical look.

"I'm always careful when I can afford to be," she amended. "But protecting this city will always come first."

"World Shaking!"

Sailor Moon glanced over her shoulder at the fight. The Senshi were giving it their all, but the red-haired man—Rubeus, she remembered—didn't seem to be affected. Squaring her shoulders, she joined in the fight.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" The attack hit Rubeus directly, and he laughed.

"Do you think that's enough to kill me? I am Rubeus of the Black Moon Clan, second in command to the mighty Prince Demande. You will never defeat me!"

She wasn't expecting it to kill Rubeus, but she was expecting it to have _some_ effect on him. It had hit him squarely in the chest! How had he not been affected by it?

"Crescent Beam!" Again, the attack hit him, but he didn't so much as wince.

Sailor Moon's vision started going blurry again, and she realized the poison was coming into effect quicker and quicker each time. She needed to end this _now_. And there was only one way she could think of.

Almost absentmindedly, her hand lifted to the brooch centered on her chest. Seeing what she was doing, and guessing her thoughts, Tuxedo Kamen started to vehemently shake his head.

"No. Absolutely not. Have you lost your mind?"

"He's resisting all of our attacks," she argued. "We're not powerful enough for him, and I'm slowly being poisoned. This ends, right now."

"The fact that you're being poisoned is exactly why you _shouldn't_ do this! You're not strong enough right now, it's far too dangerous."

She ignored him. There wasn't time to argue, the longer she waited, the weaker she became. Lifting her chin up a notch, she marched forward and into the fray.

"What are you—_no_." Mars said as she saw what Sailor Moon was about to do.

Sailor Moon shook her head. "It's the only way." Drowning out the protests of the Senshi, she took a deep breath and detached the silver crystal from her brooch.

Uranus gasped.

"The Silver Crystal!" Neptune said. "How did we not see it before?"

"Protect the princess at all costs!" Uranus cried out.

Sailor Moon was barely aware of what they were saying; everything she had was focused on the silver crystal as she raised it high above her head. She felt her sailor fuku disappear as the white, flowing dress of Princess Serenity took its place.

"Moon Cosmic Power!" The silver crystal glowed, and power burst from it, illuminating the battlefield. Uranus and Neptune stood in awe at the full power of the silver crystal in its purest, unadulterated form as the other Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen scrambled to protect Sailor Moon.

"How can this—_no!_" Rubeus screamed in pain as the full force of the silver crystal hit him and he disintegrated into nothing.

"You can stop now," Tuxedo Kamen said carefully, placing a hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder.

She tried, but she felt paralyzed, her limbs locked into that position. Slowly, she managed to lower her arms, the silver crystal faded back into her brooch, and she fell to her knees, her white skirts billowing out behind her before they faded back into the skirt of her fuku.

"Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Kamen's voice was desperate.

"I'm okay," she said. Or at least, she _tried_ to say that, but her lips were so thick and heavy and she didn't think the words actually made it out.

"We need to get her back to the base," Mercury said. "I can craft an antidote there, and she can rest. Using the pure form of the silver crystal takes an enormous amount of energy.

"I'm coming with you." Tuxedo Kamen's tone made it clear there was no room for argument.

Mercury sighed and shook her head, but didn't say anything.

Sailor Moon pushed herself up onto her feet, but teetered and started to fall again. She would have, if Tuxedo Kamen hadn't been there to catch her. She could feel him healing her again, but it had less of an effect. The poison had been in her system for too long for him to do much good, she needed the antidote.

"I've got this," Mars said icily, and she slid Sailor Moon's arm over her shoulder, pulling her away from Tuxedo Kamen. Jupiter took her other side with an equally frigid glare, and the two of them helped carry Sailor Moon back to the base.

* * *

Usagi woke a few hours later, her thoughts fuzzy and unfocused. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her temples. She had a killer headache.

"You're awake," Ami said. "Good. Here, take this." She held out a glass of water and some painkillers.

"Thanks," Usagi said, gratefully taking them.

"Princess!" Having seen that Usagi was awake, Haruka and Michiru rushed over and each dropped to one knee.

"Um… what?" She was thoroughly confused, and was just about to ask Ami if she was sure the poison had entirely left her system, when Haruka spoke.

"Please forgive us for our hostility. We had no idea who you were. We swear our fealty to you, and recommit ourselves to the cause."

"I don't think I understand," Usagi said slowly. "What are you talking about?"

"The silver crystal," Michiru said. "It can only be wielded by the true heir of the Silver Millennium. Our mission has always been to find and protect the heir, the reincarnation of Princess Serenity. We never realized she was you."

"Okay…" Usagi said, mulling their words over. "Um, great?" She had no idea what she was supposed to say. They had agreed to join forces with her already, that was enough to forgive their past rudeness.

A moment passed in silence, as both Haruka and Michiru continued to kneel in front of her, as if they were waiting for her to say something else. She sighed. "Look, this is great and all, but my head is killing me and I really just want to lie down for a bit longer. So, uh, you can rise."

"We swear we will protect you from now on," Haruka said as she rose, and placed a fist over her heart.

As they left, Usagi sunk back into the pillows on the cot and mulled over the events of the battle. So, Rubeus was dead. What now? And, she suddenly remembered, there had been that strange blast of energy, which had freed Venus. Who was behind that? She groaned. Of course, just when she felt like she was getting a handle on her crazy life, something else had to pop up and throw her for a loop.

* * *

Kunzite slinked back into the house, hoping nobody would notice, but no such luck.

"And where have you been?" Zoisite asked, peering up at him from the edge of his book.

"I was out for a walk," Kunzite said. "I had to see!"

Zoisite sighed and shook his head. "I told you not to get involved. We can't rush this, we have to let it play out its course naturally."

"I know," Kunzite said. "And I wasn't planning on getting involved, I just wanted to watch, to see her again. I never would have done anything, but…"

"But?" Zoisite prompted, giving him a disapproving look.

"But she was in danger! I couldn't just sit back and watch while she was being hurt. If it had been Metis, what would you have done?"

Zoisite frowned, and Kunzite knew he'd made his point.

"Personally, I don't see why it's such a big deal," Jadeite drawled from where he was lying on the couch, absentmindedly toying with a dagger. "Why can't we make our presence known? How do we even know they don't remember?"

"Jadeite," Nephrite admonished. "You know why. The mind is a delicate creature. If we reveal ourselves too soon, and they're not ready, the flood of memories could overwhelm the mind and shatter it."

Jadeite made a face at Nephrite's back, but he didn't say anything else and returned to flipping the dagger back and forth between his hands.

"There is… one other thing," Kunzite said, looking down at his hands, and the other three turned to look at him. "I saw her. More importantly, she saw me."

Zoisite inhaled sharply. "Kunzite, I _told_ you—"

"I was being careful," he said. "I wasn't even seeking her out, not this time. I was up at the mall, getting some household necessities, and… she saw me."

"And?" Nephrite asked. "What was her reaction?"

"She recognized me," Kunzite said.

"Are you sure?" Zoisite asked. "Because if that's true…"

"I'm sure," he said. "There was no mistaking it." He glanced up, and looked Zoisite directly in the eye. "The Senshi know we have returned. They remember us."

"Well," Zoisite said after a pause. "This does change things."

* * *

**AN: Please review! :) **


	12. The Return of the Shitennou

**AN: Gaaahhhhhh. I am SO sorry about the insane delay in updating. I'm in the process of applying to colleges, and the whole thing just crept up on me, and I needed to spend most of time writing essays for that, much as I wanted to write this. But, the good news is, I'm almost done with the applications, so the next update should be quicker!**

**As always, many thanks to my reviewers: Ellourrah, Pink ranger 13, Sage McGavin, lilymoon80, slightlyxjaded, maryyorke and gabeliz . castillocarin. You guys are amazing. **

* * *

Mamoru sighed and stared down into his cup of cold, black coffee. All he could think about was Usagi, and the look she—and the other Senshi—had given him. That cold, icy glare. He hated that she didn't trust him anymore. And he knew she had every right to hate him, but… it hurt.

"Endymion."

Mamoru whirled around at the sound of his name. Who could possibly be in his apartment, and why on Earth were they calling him Endymion?

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you!" Zoisite stepped out of the shadows, followed by the other Shitennou.

Mamoru stared blankly for a moment, but then he was on his feet, and grabbing the nearest weapon—a kitchen knife. "How the hell are you alive? We _killed_ you! All of you!"

"Whoa, easy there!" Zoisite threw up his hands. "It's us, Endymion."

"Yes, I can see it's you!" Mamotu snarled. "What I can't figure out is what you want or how you're alive when the Dark Kingdom is a relic of the past."

"We're not with the Dark Kingdom." Zoisite said this like it should be incredibly obvious.

"You're… what?"

Zoisite frowned at Kunzite. "I thought you said he remembered."

"I said the _Senshi_ remembered," Kunzite said.

"And that you were confident Endymion must remember as well."

"Well… yes." Kunzite looked apologetic.

"I knew this was a bad idea," Nephrite muttered. "Rushing this could cause irrevocable damage to the brain tissue."

"Relax, Nephrite!" Jadeite said. "He'll be fine. Besides, us just sitting around in that old house isn't getting anything done, so clearly this is all for the best."

Mamoru meanwhile was getting more and more confused. "Could someone tell me what on _earth_ is going on? If you're not from the Dark Kingdom… who are you? And _how_ are you alive?"

"You might want to sit down," Zoisite said. "It's kind of a long story."

Mamoru did so reluctantly, still holding on to the knife.

"So… do you remember your past life at all?" Zoisite asked. "When you were Endymion, crown prince of Earth?"

"Yes…" Mamoru said slowly. "I remember my relationship with Serenity."

"Well, similar to how Serenity had the Senshi has her guardians, you also had four guardians… us."

"We were the Holy Shitennou of the Earth Kingdom," Nephrite said. "But when Queen Beryl brainwashed the citizens of the Earth, we fell part to her evil plan, and were brainwashed to believe we were loyal servants of the Dark Kingdom. We died during the attack on the Moon Kingdom, but when Queen Serenity used the power of the Silver Crystal to seal Queen Beryl and send everyone to the future, we were preserved in our brainwashed states."

Mamoru rubbed his temples. He was starting to get a headache. "So, what changed? You were resurrected as servants of the Dark Kingdom, and we killed you. How are you here now?"

"Er... it's a little complicated," Zoisite said, nervously scratching the back of his head. "As in, I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that the only artifact capable of resurrecting us and cleansing us is the Silver Crystal."

Mamoru groaned, trying to make sense of it all. "There was an instance when Usagi used the full power of the Silver Crystal, but it was months ago. Why are you coming back now?"

"Well, we've been back for a while," Jadeite said. "But _some_ people—" he gave a very pointed look towards Nephrite and Zoisite—"believe that we had to wait until people started to remember us—the real us. Because apparently rushing the process can result in brain trauma or something like that." He rolled his eyes.

"This is actually happening…" Mamoru murmured. "This isn't a dream?"

Kunzite frowned. "Why would it be a dream?"

"I've dreamt of you," Mamoru said. "For the past few weeks, I've had these odd dreams—dreams of Endymion and Serenity and four guardians who were my closest friends and advisors. I thought that's all they were, dreams. I didn't think they might be memories of my past life…"

"So you _do_ remember us, then!" Jadeite said. "See, Nephrite? No harm done, he remembered us all along."

Kunzite rolled his eyes at Jadeite's antics. "My liege, much as I would love to spend time catching up… we made our presence known for a reason. For the past few weeks, we've been carefully monitoring the new enemy, and we know what you're up against. We want to help."

* * *

Usagi sighed and buried her head in her hands. It was the middle of a Senshi meeting, and things were going nowhere. "But what _now_? Yes, Rubeus is dead. Yes, that was a good victory. But the Black Moon Clan is still very much a threat, as evidenced by the continual youma attacks! Isn't there anything you know?"

"I'm afraid not," Haruka said. "All we knew was that the Black Moon Clan was an evil organization from the future, led by a man named Rubeus, who sought to kill the Princess of the past, and someone else they referred to as 'rabbit', who we now know is Chibiusa. But now that Rubeus has been defeated… we're just as much in the dark as you are."

"Great," Usagi muttered. "And there was that blast of energy which freed Minako during the fight… if that wasn't one of us… who could it have been? Who else is out there?"

"I wish we could help," Michiru said. "But we're not aware of any other Senshi, or anyone else who might be helping the cause."

Usagi blew out her breath in frustration. "I guess that's it, then. All of you, keep researching. Check your sources, hunt down possible leads… do whatever you can."

The other Senshi nodded in agreement.

"We'll see what we can do," Ami promised.

As the Senshi dispersed, Usagi leaned back, resting on her elbows, looking up at the ceiling of the Hikawa Shrine. They normally had their Senshi meetings at the base under the Arcade these days, but Luna had been worried the perception filters keeping the base hidden had been on the fritz, so while she and Artemis investigated it, they were back to meeting at the Shrine.

"Everything all right?" Minako asked.

Usagi gave a small smile. "I should be asking _you_ that. You worried us the other day, when you collapsed."

Minako blushed and looked down, wrapping her hands around the mug of tea she held. "I'm sorry about that. I guess… I just wasn't expecting it. All the times I thought I saw him, I thought I was just hallucinating, remembering the past, and unable to let go. I never expected he'd actually come back. It never occurred to me that he might be alive." She sighed. "I let it interfere with my work, and I'm sorry. It's behind me now."

"It's okay," Usagi said. "I understand, I really do. The man you love suddenly shows up again, and it throws your whole life out of balance because you don't know how to go on without him, you don't know what you _are_ without him, and it's stupid and it hurts, but it is what it is."

"Oh, Usagi…" Minako sighed. She knew they weren't talking about Kunzite anymore.

"Why doesn't Mamoru love me anymore?" Usagi's voice cracked as she spoke. Her hands clenched into fists, and her eyes filled with tears. "Why? Why does it hurt so much? I thought I could do this, I thought I could keep myself focused on defeating the Black Moon Clan and protecting Chibiusa, and that I could keep myself in control, but I can't. I just can't!"

"Oh…" Minako couldn't think of what to say as Usagi broke down in her arms. She wished she could make it okay for her friend, she wished she could make Mamoru come to his senses, do _something_. Anything to make the pain stop. It broke her heart to see Usagi like this.

* * *

"Esmeraude."

"Yes, my Prince?" Esmeraude fluttered her eyelashes, smiling coyly from behind her fan.

"Rubeus has failed me. The Rabbit is still out there, as are the Senshi, and the future Neo-Queen Serenity is not by my side as my Queen. I want you to take over where Rubeus has failed. Do not disappoint me."

"Of course not, my Prince," Esmeraude purred. "I will ensure that the Senshi are eliminated once and for all." As for the future Neo-Queen Serenity, well… she had no intention of delivering her to Prince Demande, not when _she_ had plans to be Demande's Queen. But what the Prince didn't know couldn't hurt him. If poor Sailor Moon died in a tragic accident, well… how could she, Esmeraude, have prevented it? Such things were simply beyond her control.

As she left the throne room, she threw her head back and laughed. She was the person Prince Demande trusted most to bring glory to the Black Moon Clan. Everything was going according to plan. It was only a matter of time before the Senshi were defeated, the Rabbit was dead, and she and Prince Demande ruled over the Earth and Nemesis together.

* * *

Jadeite lounged on the couch, lazily tossing a ball into the air and catching it again. "So… what next?"

"Hmm?" Zoisite peered at Jadeite from over the top of his book.

"We've revealed ourselves to Endymion," he said. "Which is great. But… are we just going to continue to sit around doing nothing? I thought we were going to help Endymion in this fight."

"We are," Zoisite said. "I'm researching the Black Moon Clan right now." He held up the book.

Jadeite rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about research, Zoi. I want to be where the action is. And to do that, the Senshi need to know we're back and that we're on their side. What are we waiting for?"

"Nothing, I suppose," Zoisite said, frowning. "It's just… well, we need to take things slowly. We don't want to rush anything."

"But I'm tired of waiting!" Jadeite complained. "Don't you want to see Metis again? Don't you want to have the chance to explain everything, to finally have a chance to be happy together?"

"Of course I do, but—"

"But what? _What_ are we waiting for?"

Zoisite sighed. "I… don't know."

Jadeite dropped the ball and propped himself up. "Is it because you're scared?"

"No!" Zoisite protested. "Well… maybe. Yes?" He sighed again and shook his head. "It's just… there's so much to think about, and there's so much which could go wrong, and we don't know if our lives would even work together anymore… who's to say that a star-crossed romance in our past lives would translate to modern day?"

"It did for our Prince and Princess," Jadeite argued. "And I get where you're coming from, I do. I'm terrified about seeing Enyo again and possibly finding out that things are too different. But we have to try, don't we?"

Zoisite hung his head. "You make a good point. Why must you always in these arguments?"

Jadeite grinned. "Because your smarts can't compete with my good looks, charm and wit?"

"Oh yes, I'm sure it's that." Zoisite rolled his eyes. "I don't know why your 'good looks' would help you win an argument."

Jadeite was about to respond when Kunzite poked his head in through the door. "What is all the ruckus about? I'm trying to work, unlike some people." He looked pointedly at Jadeite.

"Hey, why does everyone always assume I'm not doing anything?" Jadeite protested. "I'll have you know I've been hard at work, um…"

Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "You were saying?"

"I've been hard at work convincing Zoisite that we should formally introduce ourselves to the Senshi!" Jadeite continued. "And he agreed, so don't go on one of your long tangents about how it needs to be a group decision."

Kunzite frowned. "Well… I suppose if Zoisite agreed, then it's a majority vote… and I know Nephrite won't be too resistant to the idea anyways."

"Excellent! Let's go then." Jadeite hopped up off the couch.

"Now?"

"Is there any reason we should wait?"

"Well… I suppose not," Kunzite said.

"It's settled then," Jadeite said.

"Aren't you geniuses forgetting something?" Zoisite asked. "How are we supposed to find the Senshi?"

"Ah…" Jadeite said somewhat sheepishly. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Of course you hadn't," Zoisite scoffed.

"I'll call Endymion," Kunzite said. "He would likely know."

* * *

After a little while, Usagi stopped crying and took a deep breath, wiping away the last of her tears. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be about you, and I've been so selfish to turn it around to the drama with Mamoru."

"Please, there's nothing selfish about it," Minako said. "You're hurting because of a very real and current event. I'm just bitter about old memories." She smiled at her friend. "Now, come on. Let's see if the others are still in the courtyard. Maybe we can do something fun, take our minds off of all this drama. See a movie or something."

"I'd like that," Usagi smiled back. Mulling over the Black Moon Clan was going nowhere; maybe a little distraction would be the perfect thing to clear their minds.

"Hey, Rei, Ami, Makoto!" Usagi called out as they walked into the courtyard, spotting her friends a short distance away. "Minako and I were just talking—"

"Um, hello?"

The unexpected voice made them all turn around. Four young men were standing not five feet away. The man who had spoken had long, curly blonde hair, and one hand was lifted in a sort of half-wave. Everyone turned to stare at him and his companions, and there was an awkward moment of silence.

The mug Minako was holding fell to the ground, shattering the silence. Then, several things happened at once. Rei let out a scream, half agony, half bloodlust. In the blink of an eye, she had an ofuda scroll in hand as she assumed a battle stance. Ami gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth and backing away slowly, her eyes wide and fearful.

Makoto was the only one who seemed relatively unaffected. She eyed the newcomers with distrust, and some other emotion Usagi couldn't quite place as she looked around at her friends.

"I—we—" the blonde haired man scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Um, I'm Zoisite and, uh…" he trailed off at the sound of footsteps as Minako turned and ran back to the shrine.

"Aphrodite, wait!" The white-haired man of the group called out, jogging after her.

"Who… _are_ you?" Usagi asked. Suddenly, it came to her, and she gasped. "The Shitennou! How are you alive?" She put her hand on her brooch, ready to transform if needed.

"We're not evil!" the blonde-haired man, who Usagi now remembered as Zoisite, hastened to say. "It's sort of… complicated?"

"Explain." Makoto crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well…" Zoisite looked back at the other Shitennou, but it seemed they had left the explaining to him. "The short version is, back in the Silver Millennium, we were the guardians of Endymion, like you were the guardians of Princess Serenity. Queen Beryl brainwashed us, and we were corrupted into thinking we were the Shitennou of the Dark Kingdom, not the holy Shitennou of the Earth. When Queen Serenity resurrected everyone after the fall of the Moon Kingdom and sent us all to the future, we were preserved in our brainwashed state."

He sighed, and looked down. "When we worked for Queen Beryl, we were no more than puppets, blindly following her without any sense of our true identities. When we died by your hands, we were at last free. It should have been the end, but somehow… something cleansed us and brought us back. The only power I know strong enough to achieve such a feat is that of the Silver Crystal."

Usagi nodded to herself. Somehow, she must have unconsciously been aware of the Shitennou's true identities. When she lay dying after the battle with Queen Beryl and wished for things to be normal again, the Silver Crystal must have resurrected the Shitennou when it did the same for her and the Senshi.

Zoisite looked up and directly into Ami's eyes. "We never meant to hurt you. If we'd had any idea at all of who we were… please believe that hurting you was the last thing I—we—wanted to do. _Please_."

Ami just shook her head, her face as white as a sheet and her eyes getting, if possible, even wider. "I… I think I need to go." And with that, she turned on her heel and ran. Zoisite hesitated for a moment, then followed.

That left Nephrite and Jadeite. Rei still looked ready to attack at any moment, but Makoto's face had softened a little.

"Could I talk to you for a moment?" Nephrite asked her. "Alone?"

Makoto bit her lower lip, but slowly, eventually, she nodded. "Fine."

As Makoto and Nephrite left, Usagi glanced between Jadeite and Rei. She had absolutely no idea what was going on, but… for some reason, she was inclined to believe the Shitennou. If they had been resurrected as servants of the Dark Kingdom, why would they be trying to trick them? They'd only shown interested in killing them before. And what they'd said… they sounded truly apologetic. And if it wasn't true, how had they come up with such an intricate story?

Whatever was going on, it didn't involve her.

"I… I'll just be back at my house," she said, slowly walking away, but neither Rei nor Jadeite seemed to hear her. Rei's gaze was fixated on Jadeite, her eyes blazing with hatred as she held out an ofuda scroll towards him. Jadeite's head was drooped as he slouched, but he kept his eyes firmly on Rei.

Shaking her head, Usagi walked back to bus stop, which would take her downtown. She hoped her friends would be able to fill her in later, but for now, it seemed like something they needed to work out on their own.

* * *

Minako slammed the door behind her, collapsing against it, trying not to hyperventilate. "He's back he's back he's _here_, oh Kami he's _here_." She shook her head, as if by doing so, she could somehow rid herself of the memories. She knew he was back, but… she didn't expect them to show up. To openly reveal themselves.

"Stupid stupid stupid stupid," she muttered to herself. Of course they would show up again. Of _course_ he'd want to try and move on. As if such a thing were possible. How could she move on from this?

"Aphrodite."

The sound of her name—her old name—made Minako shriek. "No! Go away!"

"Please, Aphrodite," he said from the other side of the door. "I just want to talk. Give me a chance to explain myself."

"Explain?" she laughed. "Explain _what_? Explain how you betrayed me, how you _killed_—" she broke off.

"I never betrayed you," he said. "I was brainwashed by Queen Beryl. Do you think I ever would have willingly hurt you? I _love_ you, Aphrodite."

"That's not my name!" she screamed.

There was a long pause at the other end of the door. When Kunzite finally spoke, his voice was rough. "Right. I'm sorry, I... forgot. It's Minako, isn't it? I've heard your friends call you that."

Minako sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She wouldn't let him see her cry, not over _him_. He didn't deserve her tears. She should just turn and walk away. And yet… she shook her head.

"_Please_," he said, his voice rough. "Do you remember once, you asked me if I believed in soul mates?"

She did. She closed her eyes, and the memory came to her.

_They were standing in the grand ballroom on the Moon, and at that moment, she didn't even care that he wasn't allowed to be there and that if anyone found out, it could mean serious trouble for the both of them. All she knew was happiness as she twirled in his arms._

"_Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?" she whispered._

"_I think I have an idea," he said, smiling as he drew her closer. "At least, I know how much _you _mean to _me._"_

_She smiled, but it wasn't quite genuine. A rare moment of insecurity was plaguing her. How could she make this wonderful man understand how important he was to her? How much of an affect he'd had on her life? How she would feel if she lost him in this senseless war? She couldn't find the words. "I…" she trailed off, bit her lip. "Do you believe in soul mates?"_

_He crushed her against him, close enough that she could feel the beat of his heart through his shirt. "Yes. Kami, yes. And I know that you are mine. No matter what might happen, I will always find my way back to you, Aphrodite. I promise."_

Back then, she'd thought it was inevitable. Their souls were intertwined, their destiny lay together, no matter the outcome, they would face it together. If lost, they would always find each other again. It never occurred to her that one day she might not want him to find her. But it had never occurred to her that he would kill her, either.

"Do you?" he asked, and she could hear the emotion in his voice, which made it so much harder to resist. She wanted to throw open the door, to collapse into his arms, to cry with happiness because he was _here_ and he was _hers_.

But how could she? How could she when he was the reason behind her destruction? How could she when she remembered how it felt to have his sword between her ribs? When she remembered the exact look on his face as he slowly killed her? When she remembered how it felt to wrap her arms around him one last time before she ended it all?

She shuddered and shivered, wrapping her arms around her torso, trying to hold herself together. "Yes," she whispered. "I remember."

"Then _please_," he begged. "Just… just give it a chance. Give _us_ a chance, Minako."

His use of her name, _this_ name, was too much, and she had to stifle a sob. "I can't. I just… can't." She broke down for real then, not even caring anymore if he heard. She expected him to walk away, but when she heard him sink down on the other side of the door, she couldn't decide if she was relieved or disappointed.

* * *

Ami collapsed against the wall of the shrine, breathing hard and clutching her head. It hurt. Remembering _hurt_. She didn't know why, but while her friends had been remembering bits and pieces of their past lives, she hadn't. Everything was as it should have been. But then she saw him, and that was all it took for her to remember everything.

_She's sitting in the library, poring over a thick volume, her eyebrows drawn together in concentration._

"_Guess who?" a voice says, and suddenly she can't see._

"_Zoisite," she says, her tone chiding and he removes his hands from her eyes as she turns in her chair to face him. "I'm trying to work."_

"_I know," he says, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Sorry. I just missed you."_

"_It's only been a few days," she says, trying to keep her tone stern, but it's hard to keep the smile off of her face. Gods, she's missed him. These past few days have been hard without him, as they've both been occupied with matters concerning the impending war._

"_I'll let you get back to work, then," he says, turning to leave._

"_Wait." She grabs hold of his arm before he can walk away. "Stay for awhile?"_

"_Okay." He grins as she move to make room for him on the armchair. _

_He sits down next to her, and it's awkward and uncomfortable as they're squished together, so instead he picks her up and puts her on his lap. It's not much of an improvement, as the chair is really only made to seat one, but neither wants to move to a different chair. They're together again, and that's all that matters. They need the closeness to remind themselves that they still have each other._

_They continue on like that, both studying. Occasionally he'll stroke her hair or she'll lean in and steal a kiss, and a happy sigh of contentment escapes her. She's home._

If that had been all she'd remembered, perhaps things would have been different. But at the sound of his footsteps as he rounded the corner and came closer, she closed her eyes, letting the other event she'd witnessed when she saw his face swim to mind.

_She's just finished fending off one of the Dark Kingdom's followers when she sees him standing there, watching her._

"_Zoisite!" she cries out, and the intense relief she feels at seeing him alive nearly brings her to her knees. "I've been looking for you everywhere. Come, let's finish this together." She holds out her hand, and he walks forward, slowly, and grasps it. The second he takes her hand she realizes something is wrong, and she looks up into his eyes and gasps._

"_Oh!" She'd been so wrapped up in her relief to see him that she hadn't realized that he was different. Changed. His green eyes no longer held the warmth and mirth that were always present. Instead, they were cold. Hard. And as he smiled, it wasn't the sweet, shy smile she loved so much. It was predatory._

"_Die, filthy Senshi," he spat out. His grip on her wrist tightened, and she felt his cold seeping through, burning her skin._

"_Please, Zoisite," she begs. "Don't make me do this. You have to still be in there somewhere. It's me, Metis. Don't you remember?" She uses her other hand to gently reach up and stroke his face. His grip on her wrist tightens, and it hurts, but she doesn't flinch. She _has_ to get through to him._

"_Your honey-coated words won't work on me," he says. "I can see the venom within. You deserve nothing less than death!" He drops her wrist and using both hands to shove her chest, summoning frost to his hands as he does so._

_She stumbles to the ground, clutching at her aching chest. The cold seemed to have seeped through to her very bones, and she can't help but shiver uncontrollably._

"_Pull yourself together", she tells herself firmly. She's one of the mighty Senshi, she won't allow herself to be so easily defeated. He sends a flurry of ice spikes towards her, but this time she's ready, and blocks them with her own water. Before he can retaliate, she sends a deluge of water towards him that hits him square in the chest. He stumbles, but doesn't fall._

_She hauls herself to her feet, trying to ignore the aching cold. But suddenly he's there, and his hands are on her shoulders. He presses his mouth against hers, and when he breaths, shards of ice slide down her lungs. She struggles, but he's too strong, and she's getting weaker by the moment. Eventually, he lets her go, and she falls to the ground, coughing up blood and ice._

"_No," she says, tears slipping down her face. Or at least, she tries to say, but she finds all she can do is cough up more shards of blood-covered ice. She knows she doesn't have much time left, her vision is already getting blurry. But as he stands over her, mocking, she thinks that she can't allow this… _thing_ to continue masquerading as the man she loves. With the very last of her strength, she summons an ice spike of her own, and impales him, cutting off his cruel laughter as he stumbles forward, a trickle of blood running down the side of his mouth. He collapses next to her, and she reaches out a hand, trying to find his. Perhaps in death they can be together._

"Metis!" Zoisite said, panting, as he finally caught up to her. "Wait. Please. I just want to talk to you."

"Go away," she whispered. A whisper is all she could manage, she feared if she spoke any louder, her voice would crack.

"Metis—"

"My name is Ami," she snapped.

"Ami, then," he said softly. "Please, just hear me out—"

She starts to shake her head before he's finished speaking. "Look, Zoisite…" she broke off, wiling her voice not to crack as she spoke his name for the first time in so long. "I understand why you did what you did. You were under the control of Queen Beryl, no more than a pawn. You had no choice. You were just as much a victim as the rest of us. But…"

"But?" he prompted, and the hope on his face breaks her heart.

"But I can't do this," she said. "The memories are too fresh, too _real_. How am I supposed to move on when I remember how it felt when you _murdered_ me?"

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, and he does look truly sorry, which only serves to shatter her heart even more.

The memories, seeing him again… it's all too much for her, and despite her careful composure, she began to cry.

"Ami…" he reached out a hand as if were going to wipe away her tears, but then seemed to think better of it, and let his hand fall awkwardly.

After a moment, she takes a deep, shuddering breath and pulls herself together. "I know that you can be a valuable ally, and we could use all the help we can get. I won't let my personal feelings interfere with that, so I hope you will still be willing to work together. Form a truce, of sorts."

His brows drew together. "How did you know what we were here to do?"

She smiled sadly. "Because I still know you, Zoisite. Whenever there's a problem, you're always at the heart of it, trying to figure out how to solve it."

"Very well, then," he said, giving an equally sad smile. "A truce."

* * *

**AN: Please review!**

**Also, for those of you wondering about the names... I'm using the names I gave the Senshi in my Silver Millennium story, A Life Once Forgotten, as those were their names in their past lives in my headcanon. They are:**

**Ami = Metis**

**Rei = Enyo**

**Makoto = Athena**

**Minako = Aphrodite**


	13. Moving On

**AN: GAH, I am so sorry about how long this took. I ended up doing NaNoWriMo (which I actually won, yay!) and then kinda crashed afterward, because writing 50k words in one month really took it out of me. But with no more NaNo, hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up in a much more timely manner.**

**Also, I just noticed that 8 days ago was the 1-year anniversary of this fic, which is a little crazy. I can't believe time has gone by so quickly! Anyways, happy 1-year anniversary to New Beginnings! :)**

**As always, many thanks to my reviewers: beesbruh, Moonprincess998, ameriar, SailorNerd, jaslena, lilymoon80, James Birdsong, gabeliz . castillocarin, and slightlyxjaded. Nine reviews? You guys are so, so amazing and I love you all.**

**EDIT: Now fixed. Thanks everyone who pointed out Chibiusa already knew Usagi was Sailor Moon.**

* * *

Rei and Jadeite stared each other down across the courtyard. Jadeite, for his part, looked somewhat sheepish, his hand stuffed into his pockets, an apologetic half-smile on his face.

"Look, Enyo—"

"Do _not_ call me that," she snarled. "What makes you think you can just—just waltz back here, back into my life after everything you've done? Calling me by _that_ name, looking all—ugh!" She threw her hands up in frustration.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Truly. I wish I could find the words to make you realize that, make you understand how much I regret everything that happened."

"You mean betraying me and killing me?" Rei's voice shook with barely restrained fury. "And then for trying to kill me again in this lifetime?"

Jadeite flinched. "Yes. But you have to know," he hastened to explain. "That it wasn't _me_. Queen Beryl had brainwashed us, corrupted us, we didn't know who we were. You have to know, I would never—_could_ never—" he broke off, choking on his own words.

It was an odd sight, Jadeite tormented like this. Ever since Rei had first remembered her past life with him, it was as if some seal had been broken, and the rest of the memories came rushing back. Jadeite was the cocky joker, the guy who loved pushing her buttons and infuriating her almost as much as he loved being unbearably good to her.

But one thing he was not was anguished, at least not so visibly. He always hid his pain and worry behind jokes and arrogance and false bravado. He hid everything behind that façade.

Seeing him like this made Rei want to wrap her arms around his neck, to breathe him in, to remind them both that they were here, they were _alive_.

But she also wanted to tear him to bloody shreds with her fingernails, she wanted to remove all memory of him from her brain, form her heart, she wanted to forget, to stop remembering, because remembering hurt too much. And she didn't know which side of her was stronger.

"Rei." Jadeite's voice was quiet and rough, and it made Rei's heart twist painfully.

"Don't," she managed, though it came out more pained than she wanted it to. "Just don't, okay? I don't… I can't…"

"Rei, _please_," he begged. "Just give me a chance. Give _us_ a chance."

"I can't!" she spat at him. "Did you know what I only just remembered who you were? At first, it was just a memory of a time we'd spent together. A happy memory. But before I even had time to process this, to wonder whether it was memory or dream or vision, I remembered everything else." She shuddered.

"Everything… else?" Jadeite prompted uncertainly when she didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Yes, everything else." She looked up at him, her dark eyes burning with emotion. "I remembered how it felt as you scorched my skin, I remembered how it felt as you drove your dagger into my gut, I remembered how it felt as I killed you, moments before I died."

She paused for a moment to gather herself. "Don't you get it? It's not just the fact that you killed me. If it were just that, I might be able to forgive you, knowing that you were under Queen Beryl's control. It's the fact that you forced _me_ to kill _you_. I loved you, Jadeite. I loved you more than I thought possible. I'd spent my whole life learning how to be the perfect priestess, the perfect warrior, the perfect guardian. But then you came along with your smiles and your arrogance and I hated you, but I was so drawn to you. And then when I got to really know you… I loved you. And you destroyed that. You made _me_ destroy that."

For a long moment, neither said anything else as Rei stood there, her chest heaving from the effort to not break down in sobs, while Jadeite stood as still as a statue. When he finally spoke, his voice broke. "I am so, _so_ sorry. And I know that will never be enough. But—"

"There is no but," she said. "Don't come near me again, or I swear I will not hesitate to kill you. I've done it before, what's once more?" She laughed humorlessly as she brandished the ofuda scroll again. "Do not test my patience, Jadeite."

"I understand." He hung his head and shuffled off, pausing only once to look back at her.

* * *

"So…" Nephrite said as he and Makoto walked off down a path leading to the other end of the shrine. "Thank you for agreeing to walk with me."

Makoto shrugged, but didn't say anything.

"Aren't you going to say _something_?" Nephrite asked when the silence continued to stretch on. "Anything?"

"I don't know _what_ to say," she said at last. "I only just recently started to remember who you were—our past life together. And, well, knowing everything that's happened since… it's a lot to take in."

"I know." Nephrite hung his head. "And words cannot express how truly sorry I am, for everything that I did. I wouldn't blame you if you hated me, if you refused to speak to me. So, I have to wonder… why did you agree to walk with me, to give me the chance to explain?"

Makoto blew out her breath in a huff as she considered his words. "I suppose… I understand. You were being controlled by Queen Beryl, it's not like you voluntarily chose to betray us, to hurt us… hurt _me_."

"Does…" Nephrite's voice came out rough, and he cleared his throat and started over. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I do understand that what you did wasn't your fault, you weren't your own person when you served the Dark Kingdom, but…"

"But?" Nephrite prompted.

Makoto looked up at him with a small, sad smile on her face. "But it doesn't make the memory of what happened hurt any less. I want to forgive you, Nephrite. And I suppose, in many ways, I do. But I don't know if we can ever be what we once were. I don't know if I can ever really let go of the past, and all the pain you caused me. Maybe it's just too much, too late, maybe we missed our chance."

"I understand." Nephrite's voice was rough with emotion, and he turned to walk away.

Makoto grabbed his hand to stop him. "But… I want to try anyways." She smiled at him again, hopeful this time.

"Athena." He looked at her with the world in his eyes and crushed her against his chest. As she balled her hands in his shirt and willed herself not to cry, it didn't even matter that that wasn't her name anymore; it didn't matter that she was no longer Athena, Princess of Jupiter and one of the four noble Senshi, sworn to protect Princess Serenity and the Moon Kingdom as a whole. It didn't matter that he was no longer Nephrite, one of the four holy Shitennou of Earth.

It didn't matter that their past was filled with pain and betrayal and deception, it didn't matter that they were once sworn enemies, that she had once worked very hard to kill him, and he her.

All that mattered was that he was here. And she was home.

* * *

Usagi sat in the Crown Arcade, sipping one of Motoki's famous milkshakes and trying not to worry too much. Between her friends' mysterious relationship with the Shitennou, the continued frustration of being one step behind the Black Moon Clan, the breakup with Mamoru _and_ Chibiusa's appearance in her life, Usagi was overwhelmed. And starting to get a headache.

She groaned and dropped her head onto the counter.

"Everything okay, Usagi?" Motoki asked, looking up from the counter he was wiping down.

"Fine," she grumbled. "I'm just exhausted. Recent events have been wearing enough, but oh no, of _course_ they had to get more complicated and of _course_ I have to solve them because—" she broke off. She'd been about to say, "because I'm Sailor Moon." She hadn't been sleeping much lately, and clearly it was getting to her. She had almost revealed her identity to Motoki!

"Because?" Motoki asked, and Usagi cursed how good of a listened he was. It used to be something she loved about him, but it would have been so great if he hadn't been paying attention and hadn't really heard what she'd mumbled.

"Because the world isn't fair," she said, forcing her tone into a whine. "I mean, Ms. Haruna has been _brutal_ with homework assignments lately, and with Chibiusa staying with us, my mom's been giving me even more chores. Ugh." She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her milkshake, hoping Motoki would buy it.

"Huh." Motoki looked at her quizzically, but then he shrugged and flipped his rag over his shoulder. "Well, I hope things shape up soon. How's school going?"

Usagi made a face. With everything that had been going on lately, her schoolwork had really fallen behind. She was just barely passing most of her classes, and she was seriously in danger of failing math. Mamoru's tutoring had really helped, but now… well, obviously that wasn't possible anymore.

At least Ikuko wasn't nagging as much as she used to, but in some ways that was worse. Ever since Usagi had told her mother the truth, Ikuko had been… closed off. Reserved. Sure, she'd still make Usagi lunch and threaten to hit Usagi and Shingo with her spatula when they were fighting, but it was… different. Not that Usagi could blame her. How do you adjust to knowing that your ditzy teenage daughter is actually a superheroine who faces the forces of evil on a daily basis?

"Usagi?" Motoki was waving a hand in front her face. "Hello? Earth to Usagi!"

"Sorry!" she jerked herself up straight. "I got lost in a daydream."

Motoki frowned. "Are you sure everything's okay? You seem… different."

"Fine," she said, a little too cheerfully. "Like I said, it's just… school. You know. The usual." She rolled her eyes again and tried to look normal.

Motoki sighed and shook his head. "Honestly, between you and Mamoru… it seems everyone's been acting strange lately. But you know you can talk to me about anything, right? You're like a little sister to me."

Suddenly, Usagi felt very choked up. Sure, she called him Motoki-onii-san, and in a lot of ways she considered him to be like a big brother. And he'd always acted the same. But to hear him say it, out loud… Usagi just wanted to break down crying and tell him everything; she wanted to talk to someone who wasn't involved in this mess, someone who wasn't burdened with their own problems. Someone who could just listen and comfort her.

"I know that," she managed to choke out, hoping her voice didn't betray her too much. "But it's nothing, really. Just stupid school and family stuff." She slurped down the rest of her milkshake. "Anyways, I have to go, I'm picking Chibiusa up from her afterschool art class. Thanks for the milkshake!"

She grabbed her bag and ran out the door, pausing for breath once she was safely outside, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. She really _did _have to pick up Chibiusa, but she also wanted to get out of there. The stress of… well, of _everything_ was really getting to her, and she feared if she'd stayed there much longer she would have willingly told Motoki everything.

"Usagi?"

The sound made Usagi's eyes snap open. She knew that voice. Sure enough, standing a few feet away from her was Mamoru himself, his dark brows knitted together in concern over his brilliant blue eyes. _Stop that, Usagi!_ She firmly reprimanded herself. This was no time to be getting all swoony over her ex-boyfriend.

"Are you… alright?" he asked, almost hesitantly. "You seem a little…" he took a half step forward, and instinctively, Usagi pulled back.

"I seem a little _what_, Mamoru?" she snapped. She hadn't quite meant for her voice to come out so sharp, but, well… she couldn't exactly say she regretted it too much. He was a good part of the reason why things had been so stressful and harrowing and just plain _hard_ lately. He was the one who completely turned her world upside down.

Mamoru frowned. "Tired," he said at last, in response to her question.

"Gee, I wonder why that could be?" Usagi muttered under her breath. Mamoru's frown deepened, and she felt a tiny twinge of guilt at her sarcastic comment. She was trying to be the bigger person, to be civil and polite for the sake of Chibiusa, and for the sake of the Senshi. Things with the Black Moon Clan weren't going well, and she needed to focus her full attention on it, not her relationship troubles with Mamoru.

"Look, I was just…" Mamoru trailed off and sighed in frustration, running his hand through his hair.

"You know what?" Usagi said, shaking her head. "It's fine. Forget about it. I need to go pick up Chibiusa from school."

Mamoru opened his mouth as if he was going to say something else, and for a moment she thought he was going to offer to walk with her. And for a moment, she thought if he did, maybe she would say yes.

But then the moment was gone, and Usagi chastised herself again. Mamoru broke up with her, and even if she couldn't understand why, even if he was sending mixed signals, he clearly didn't want to date her anymore. And she had to respect that, much as it hurt. And even though some small, hurtful part of her thought that maybe if he had offered to walk with her, she should have said no, just to make him hurt a little, the way he'd hurt her, it was all for the best that they go their separate ways.

Mamoru was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face, and Usagi felt all her resolve starting to crumble. She wanted to break down crying, she wanted to fall into his arms, she wanted to ask him why, she wanted to beg him to take her back.

"I have to go," she blurted out, and ran off before Mamoru could say anything else. She ran for a few blocks before she dared pause and look back, but Mamoru was out of sight.

"Baka baka baka baka," she muttered to herself. She had to be more composed than this, she had to be able to remain calm and collected, for Chibiusa's sake. And _what_ in the name of Kami had gotten into her? First she almost spilled her secret to Motoki, then she almost made a fool of herself in front of Mamoru… she shook her head.

After she picked Chibiusa up, maybe she'd see if Luna or Artemis had any useful information on the Black Moon Clan. She needed to do something to take her mind off everything. She glanced at the time on her phone and picked up the pace, heading towards the elementary school.

The closer Usagi got to the school, the more she felt something was… off. It was subtle, she didn't have the psychic powers that Rei did, but she trusted her gut by now. Something wasn't right. She was a few blocks away from the school by now, and practically sprinted the rest of the way.

As soon as the school came into view, Usagi cursed under her breath. It was a beautiful, sunny day with puffy white clouds, but the clouds over the elementary school were dark and ominous. And they were certainly not your ordinary storm clouds, either.

"Chibiusa!" she called out as she ran towards the entrance of the school. The light was dim, and it seemed like there was some kind of fog permeating the air. Whatever the case, she could only see a few feet in front of her. She squinted, trying to get a closer look, but the playground appeared empty.

She tried the doors, but they wouldn't budge. With a yell of frustration, she slammed her elbow into the glass of one of the nearby windows. The shards of glass cut her arm, but she barely felt the sting. All of her thoughts were focused on finding Chibiusa. If the Black Moon Clan found her before Usagi could… she couldn't let herself finish that thought. She crawled through the window, ignoring the scrape of the broken glass as it cut into her skin.

"Chibiusa!" she yelled, but once again, no reply. The hallways were eerily silent, and she had to suppress a shudder.

Usagi walked down the hallway as briskly as she could, poking her head into the door of every classroom she passed, but they were all empty. Finally, she came to one classroom, the door slightly ajar, and she inhaled sharply at the sight inside.

Four or five young kids, it was hard to tell in the dim light, were slumped in their chairs, against the wall, on the ground. All motionless.

She rushed inside, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw quite clearly that they were all breathing. She wasn't sure if the youma had somehow put them to sleep, or if their energy had been drained, but at least they were okay. Chibiusa wasn't among them, so she continued on.

The further into the heart of the school she got, the more classrooms she passed with unconscious kids. She was almost at the cafeteria when she heard a hissing noise that made her pause.

"Chibiusa?" she called out, just in case, and she thought she heard a faint whimper in reply. "Chibiusa!"

She rushed off towards the sound, which seemed to be coming from a classroom at the end of the hall. A scream pierced the air, and Usagi doubled her speed. "Chibiusa!"

She flung open the classroom door and found a tall, vaguely humanoid youma with glowing purple skin. Its hands were outstretched towards an overturned desk. Usagi didn't know what it was about to attack, but she knew she couldn't let it. She suddenly realized that in her haste, she hadn't transformed, but she didn't have time for that now. She wouldn't even get to the youma in time.

She glanced wildly around the room, looking for something, _anything_ that could be used as a weapon. There was nothing. With a cry of desperation, she hauled one of the small student desks over her head, and threw it at the youma.

"Hey! You!" she said, and it slowly turned its head towards her. It didn't have a face, just a blank, featureless expanse and empty eye sockets that glowed. "How _dare_ you attack young children? How _dare_ you prey upon the innocent and the weak? I am your enemy, not these defenseless children. Fight me if you dare."

It let out a long hiss and extended its arms towards her, and she found that instead of hands, the arms just continued, unnaturally long limbs ending in suction cups. "Miiiiine. Give me energy! Must feed, must consume… must devour!"

Usagi picked up another desk and used it to bash the youma's arms, but more kept coming. She felt one touch her arm, and she shivered at its slimy touch. She could feel it draining her energy, and knew she had to act fast. She wrenched the suction cup off of her, and whirled the desk around, smashing it into the youma's stomach. It stumbled, but quickly recovered.

"Chibiusa?" Usagi asked. "Is that you I heard?"

"Yes," she whimpered. "I'm over here."

Out of the corner of her eye, Usagi could see Chibiusa stick her hand out from behind the overturned teacher's desk. "Good. Stay there. If you have a chance, make a run for it."

Usagi didn't wait to hear Chibiusa's reply, as the youma was starting to attack again. The desk she was wielding made a somewhat sufficient shield, but a terrible weapon, and unless she could break away and transform soon, the odds of getting out of this weren't exactly favorable. She cursed the fact that she hadn't transformed when she first saw the ominous clouds over the school, or that she hadn't even called the Senshi. No one knew she was in trouble.

Just as she was thinking that, a bright light slammed into the youma, and Usagi turned to see a very furious Tuxedo Kamen standing there, his eyes glaring at her as his hands balled into fists.

"Go transform," he said, his voice shaking with pure rage. "I've got this."

Usagi frowned, but nodded, and threw the desk she was holding at the youma, just for good measure. She still wasn't sure when Mamoru had gotten these new powers, but now was not the time to question that.

She stepped in the hallway, and pulled out her transformation brooch. She hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Tuxedo Kamen, but he seemed to be holding his own against the youma, and really, transforming was the best thing to do in this situation. She wouldn't be of any help in her civilian form, and she could call for backup later.

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!" The power washed over her, now as familiar to her as the back of her hand. It was strange to think that at one time this power had confused her, frightened her, even. She wasn't quite sure when she'd fully accepted the fact that she was Sailor Moon, but it was who she was, now. She couldn't change that, and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to anymore.

"Moon Scepter Elimination!" she called out the moment she stepped back into the classroom, fully transformed. Tuxedo Kamen seemed to be doing a good job keeping the youma away from Chibiusa, but there was no sense in delaying things any longer.

The youma howled in pain before crumbling into dust, and Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of relief that it had been an easy fight. The last thing she wanted right now was another hard fight and another near-death experience.

"Chibiusa?" she asked gently as she picked her way over to the desk. "Are you alright?"

The child whimpered a little, but she crawled out from behind the desk and nodded. "I…. that thing… why was it attacking the school? Was it after me? I'm so scared."

"I know," Sailor Moon said. "I think it was after you, but it's okay, you're safe now And I'm sure you have a lot of questions, which I'd be happy to answer if I can, but let's get you home first, okay?"

"Could I speak to you for a minute, Usagi?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, and Sailor Moon's jaw flexed at the barely restrained hostility in his tone.

"Fine." She turned to Chibiusa. "Stay here, okay? I'll be back in just a minute, and I promise I won't go far. Just yell if you need me, and I'll come running."

"Okay," Chibiusa said, her voice small and shaky, but she gave Sailor Moon a decently confident smile.

Sailor Moon dropped her transformation and followed Tuxedo Kamen out the door as he did the same. They walked in silence for a few minutes, before Mamoru turned on her.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"Excuse me?" Usagi asked, taken aback.

"A desk, Usagi? Really? A _desk_? Did you honestly think that would protect you against the youma? Why didn't you transform? Or call the Senshi? Or call _me_? You just barge into this situation without thinking—"

"Chibiusa was in danger," Usagi interrupted. "What was I supposed to do? Wait for backup, wasting precious time while she could be targeted by the enemy?"

"No," Mamoru said through clenched teeth. "But why didn't you transform, at least? You can't just barge into a situation like this, where you _know_ there's a youma present, without taking some precautions! Were you going to do anything if I hadn't arrived? Or were you just going to keep swinging that desk around, as if you could actually defeat the youma that way? You could have _died_—"

"I could die all the time," she said. "That's just a fact of life, it's part of what I do. I can't change that. And yes, I should have transformed, or called someone, but I wasn't thinking, okay? I was worried about Chibiusa and I made a mistake. It's not a big deal."

"It's not a-?" Mamoru was practically foaming at the mouth. "You. Could. Have. _Died_. I know it's… a common problem," he ground out, as if the words pained him. "But that doesn't change the fact that you are far more vulnerable in your civilian form. And you're injured, so don't deny it."

"Injured?" She looked down and saw that the sleeves of her uniform were torn and bloody from when she'd broken the glass of the window. "It's just a few scrapes, Mamoru, hardly anything serious. I've been through much worse."

"But that's besides the point! It doesn't matter that-"

"Well, I can't change what I did, so I really don't see the point of you yelling at me like this," Usagi interrupted, pressing her lips together tightly. "I've accepted the fact that we have to work together, but any right you might have had to yell at me like this was lost when you broke up with me. This is a professional relationship and nothing more. You've made that pretty clear." She shook her head, finding that she couldn't even stay mad at him. All she felt was a twinge of remorse, a bone-deep grief over what they had had, what she'd lost. No matter how much she tried to move on, there was no moving on from him.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," she started to say, her voice thick with unshed tears. She paused and cleared her throat. "I need to go take Chibiusa home." She walked several steps, before turning back to face him. "How did you find me anyway? I thought you could only tell if I was in danger when I transformed."

"I was walking past the school," he said after a moment. "I saw the dark clouds, and knew something was going on, and that you had gone to pick up Chibiusa."

Usagi nodded and started to walk off again before pausing once more. "Thank you, Mamoru. For helping." Her voice was soft, and for a moment, she meant her words completely. There was no sadness, no anger in that moment, just gratefulness. The moment was fleeting, but she hoped maybe someday, she could find a way to get to that state of mind permanently.

Mamoru nodded in acknowledgment of her thanks, and she left to go take Chibiusa home. Tomorrow was a new day, another chance to work on forgiving Mamoru, and moving on. She truly hoped someday it would be possible.

* * *

**AN: Please keep up your awesomeness and review! :)**


	14. Consequences

**AN: Ohhh my goodness. HUGE apologies, you guys, I can't believe it's been nearly a year since my last update. I feel like I owe you guys an explanation, but I'll try and make it brief, so you can get on with the story. I've struggled with pretty bad depression and anxiety for several years now, but it's always been pretty manageable. This past year things got bad, and I pretty much lost all motivation to write.**

**The good news is, I've finally started getting help, and I'm doing a lot better now. However, I have also recently started college, so I'm pretty busy. I don't want to make any promises I can't keep, but I will say that no matter what, I'm not giving up on this story, and I will do my best to get chapters out as fast as I can.**

**Finally, a huge huge thank you to all of my lovely, patient reviewers: Beautiful Epiphany, Guest, Guest, Onyx2589, SaphireShimmer, James Birdsong, slightlyxjaded, Moonprincess998, Sage McGavin, lilymoon80, Sailor Nerd, gabeliz . castillocarin, and Moon Mage Goddess. Phew! You guys continue to blow me away with the amount of support and sheer number of reviews, it really means so much. Also, big thank you to the people who pointed out that Chibiusa already knew Sailor Moon's identity, I somehow missed that when scanning over previous chapters to check if she knew or not. It's all fixed now!**

**Very last final thing: this story has broken 100 reviews! Woohoo! You guys rock.**

* * *

Usagi sighed and rolled onto her stomach as she listened to Luna talk. They were in the middle of a Senshi meeting, and they were getting nowhere.

"How do we know if we can trust the Shitennou?" Luna asked. "How can we be sure they're not still agents of the Dark Kingdom, serving Queen Beryl?"

"Luna makes a valid point," Artemis interjected. "The enemy has consistently been one step ahead of us, we're just barely keeping them at bay. Do we really want to risk trusting the Shitennou? I fear it could all be part of a more sinister plan, using your emotions against you, getting you to trust them before they turn on you."

"This is like Tuxedo Kamen all over again," Usagi said. "You didn't want to trust him at first, either, Luna. Remember?"

"Yeah, and a fat lot of good trusting him did us," Rei snorted. "I'd throttle that baka if I could."

"Rei." Usagi's tone was stern, but not unkind. "Mamoru is a valid ally, personal troubles aside. And even with all the personal drama, I don't regret what we had." It still stung a little, referring to them in the past tense, but she was slowly getting used to it.

Rei muttered under her breath, the words mostly inaudible, but Usagi could pick out a few choice insults and swear words directed at Mamoru.

"But back to the subject at hand," Ami said. "What are you proposing we do, Luna? Just outright ignore them? Attack them?"

"I vote option two," Rei grumbled, but a harsh look from Ami shut her up.

"Yes, we don't know if we can trust them," Ami continued smoothly, as if she'd never been interrupted. "But we don't know that we _can't_, either. Being on our guard is good, but it seems foolish to turn away what could be very valuable allies. And as you said, Artemis, the enemy has consistently been one step ahead of us. Having the Shitennou on our side could help change that."

"I'm inclined to agree with Ami," Makoto said. "I don't really _trust_ Nephrite, but… I don't distrust him, either. I think as long as we're all cautious and proceed carefully, there's no harm in giving them a chance."

"Minako?" Artemis asked. "You've been silent so far. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

"I…" Minako trailed off. "I suppose I… I'm not sure. My head and my heart are telling me such different things, and I don't know who to listen to."

Usagi's heart broke at the raw emotion in her friend's voice. Out of all of them, Minako seemed to be taking the return of the Shitennou the hardest. Usagi supposed it made sense, Minako was the Senshi of love, after all. She always felt romantic connections more deeply than anyone else, and having Kunzite back couldn't have been easy for her.

"I know this is hard," Luna said sympathetically. "And I don't mean to be unkind, but… we need Sailor Venus. We need the second-in-command of the Senshi, and we need you at your best. What do you think is the best course of action regarding the Shitennou?"

Minako took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. "I think…" she opened her eyes and released the breath. "I think Ami and Makoto make very good points. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust Kunzite again, and I know I'll never be able to love him again, but there is no doubt about the fact that he is an incredibly powerful warrior, and we could really use that right now. As long as we're aware of the risk and go into this with clear heads, I think it does more good than harm to form a partnership with the Shitennou."

"Very well," Luna said. "It is, after all, you girls' decision. Shall we put it to a vote, or has it been decided?"

"Rei?" Usagi asked, propping herself up on her elbows. "You're the lone dissenter."

"Okay, okay, _fine_," Rei said. "We can form a partnership. But I don't trust Jadeite as far as I can throw him. Actually, I trust him _less_ than that, because I'm pretty sure I could throw him a fair distance. The Shitennou have betrayed us, broken our hearts, killed us—_twice_—and have twice nearly caused the end of the world, but sure. Let's form a partnership. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Noted," Ami said dryly. "Luna, was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"

Luna shook her head. "I believe that concludes things. Since we are moving ahead with this partnership with the Shitennou, I will get communication devices for them so they are more easily reachable. Did anyone else have anything to say?"

The group was silent, and so Luna officially adjourned the meeting, and they went their separate ways.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Usagi and Minako walked down the sidewalk through the busy downtown area, sipping milkshakes, their arms laden down with shopping bags.

"Thanks, Usagi," Minako said, breaking the silence. "I think… I think I needed this."

"Of course," Usagi said, giving her friend a warm smile. After the Senshi meeting, Usagi had proposed they go out on the town, shop a bit, indulge in Motoki's famous milkshakes, get their minds off things.

Ami had needed to study for class, Makoto was planning on meeting up with Nephrite and Rei… Usagi sighed at the memory. Rei had been very withdrawn ever since the return of the Shitennou, and Usagi suspected she was taking it harder than she was letting on. But Usagi knew her fiery, stubborn friend all too well, and she knew that pushing the matter would only drive Rei away; she had to let Rei come to her when she was ready.

"I'm glad it helps," Usagi said to Minako. "How are you holding up?"

"I…." Minako shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure, honestly. I just feel kind of… numb. Hollowed out. And then every time I look at him, I just want to forgive and forget, have him in my life again, but I can't. The memories of what he did… and the memories of what _I_ did are too painful." She sighed and took another sip of her milkshake. "I don't know. I don't know how to be friends with him, I don't know to be in a relationship with him, I don't know… anything. I don't know how to be myself around him, and that scares me."

Her voice broke on the last word, and Usagi immediately pulled her into a tight hug, ignoring the way the straps of her shopping bags dug into her forearms. "Hey, it's okay. You need time to heal, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's understandable, after all the things you two have been through together. You can't just pick things back up the way they were before, but you can't move on, either, because there's no moving on from something like that."

"Exactly." Minako squeezed Usagi and then let her go. "Thank you. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't be complaining about my own problems, you have plenty to deal with on your own, with Mamoru…" she trailed off as Usagi waved a hand dismissively.

"Seriously, Minako. Don't worry about it. I'm… I'm okay." She gave Minako as big of a smile as she could muster. "It's hard sometimes, if I stop and think about it… but there are more important things, and the world needs Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice, not Usagi Tsukino, heartbroken teenager."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Minako asked. "I worry about you sometimes, Usagi. You spend so much time caring for others, and we all love you for it, but you're allowed to be sad. I know the breakup hasn't been easy, and you don't need to put on a brave front all the time. You're allowed to be vulnerable."

Usagi chewed on her lower lip, mulling over Minako's words and trying to think of how to respond when a shrill cry pierced the air. Usagi and Minako glanced at each other, and without saying anything, both took off running towards the source of the noise.

"Help!" a woman cried, crashing into Usagi and gripping her arms. She was bleeding profusely and her eyes were unfocused and filled with panic. "It's one of those… monsters! Someone…. help." She collapsed suddenly, and Usagi struggled with the weight of keeping her upright.

"Minako, a little help, please?" Usagi asked.

Minako gently grabbed ahold of the woman's arms, helping to take some of the weight off of Usagi. "I'll look after her and call the others. Will you be okay on your own?"

Usagi nodded. "I'll be fine." Pulling a face, she ducked into an alleyway, dropped her bags and pulled out her transformation brooch in one smooth motion. "Of course, it never fails," she grumbled. "Fun shopping trip with your friend? We can't have that; the Black Moon Clan has to interrupt!"

But there was nothing to do about it, so steeling herself, she gripped her brooch and called out her transformation. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Nothing. No flash of bright lights, no tingling rush of power in her limbs. She was still just Usagi Tsukino.

"Not again," she muttered. Why was this happening? Why couldn't she transform? Maybe she just wasn't focused enough. She could hear the screams of terror as civilians were attacked, and she took a deep breath and focused her mind. She was Sailor Moon, and the world needed her.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" This time, it worked, and Usagi breathed a sigh of relief as she felt her transformation wash over her. Still, it was worrying that she was having difficulty with this, and she made a mental note to ask Luna and Artemis. But for now, it was time to teach the Black Moon Clan that they don't mess with Sailor Moon, especially not when one of her friends is having a crisis.

Running out of the alleyway, she scanned the area for the source of trouble, and found it quickly—what appeared to be a large, overgrown and horribly mutated praying mantis. It had two extra sets of legs with razor-sharp claws that glinted in the sunlight, even from a distance, and something about it was making Sailor Moon dizzy.

"Hey!" she shouted to get its attention off of the civilian it was about to attack. "Who do you think you are, interrupting this lovely afternoon? Some people have lives, you know, and it's very rude to make us put them on hold just so you can terrorize the residents of this city and use them for your nefarious plan!"

At the sound of her voice, the youma turned its attention to her, and what could only be described as a smile crept across its face. It let out a long, low hiss, and in the blink of an eye, it was next to her, swiping a giant claw down towards her neck.

"Holy crap, fast," she muttered, dropping to the ground and rolling out of the way just in time. Before she had a chance to do anything else, an ear-bleeding laugh cut through the sounds of the chaos.

"Don't you just love my droid?" The voice belonged to a woman, all decked out in green with the upside down black moon of the Black Moon Clan on her forehead. She fluttered the giant fan she held and laughed again.

"So, you're the famous Sailor Moon. I've hear so much about you, and I must admit, I'm rather disappointed. You're just a scrawny little girl. _You're_ the one who's managed to elude us for so long?" She tossed her head back and laughed shrilly. "I knew Rubeus was incompetent, but this really takes things to a whole new level."

"Good god, that _laugh_," Sailor Moon winced. "And who exactly are you? The Black Moon Clan's latest sad attempt to defeat us?"

"I'm Esmeraude of the Black Moon Clan," she giggled, preening and fluttering her fan. "His Majesty Prince Demande's must trusted advisor, and the one who will restore glory to the Black Moon Clan by bringing you down once and for all."

"You keep saying that," Sailor Moon smirked. "All of you. But you've never succeeded, and guess what? You never will. Ha!"

A flash of anger crossed Esmeraude's face, and as she lifted her arm to strike, Sailor Moon wondered for a second if perhaps she shouldn't have taunted the woman. But as Esmeraude's fan came down and blades of dark energy came shooting out, a fireball slammed into them, stopping them from reaching Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of relief as she looked over and saw the Senshi had all gathered, and not a moment too soon. To her surprise, the Shitennou were all there, too. Perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise, as they had agreed to an alliance, but she wasn't quite expecting it to be so soon.

"Hmm. Very well," Esmeraude said. "I have important things to tend to." She turned to the youma. "Finish them off. Don't leave a single one alive, not even Sailor Moon. You answer to me now, not Prince Demande, understood?"

Sailor Moon was in the process of rolling her eyes at how cowardly Esmeraude was now that she was outnumbered, when her words struck her. What did she mean by "not even Sailor Moon"? And what was this about not answering to Prince Demande? Why on Earth would the leader of the Black Moon Clan want her alive?

But this was hardly the time to worry about it, so she re-focused her attention and jogged over to the Senshi. "Mercury, I want to know this thing's weaknesses so we can finish it off as soon as possible. Mars, Jupiter, Venus… just hit it with all you've got." She turned to the Shitennou and pursed her lips. "I'll be frank and I'll be brief. I don't know how you fight, I don't know your strengths or weaknesses and I don't know _you_. I'm not entirely sure I trust you, but I'm willing to give it a try. Do what you can, and stay out of our way. And if you hurt any of my Senshi in any way, I promise I will reflect that pain back on you tenfold."

They all looked somewhat surprised to be addressed so sternly, except for Kunzite, who nodded gravely. Still, Sailor Moon didn't really care what they thought about her words, she was the leader of the Senshi and if they were going to work together, they would have to respect her decisions as leader.

The youma had turned back towards the civilians, but a sharp cry from Jupiter caught its attention again.

"Supreme Thunder!" She hurled the ball of lightning towards the youma, but it avoided it all too easily, and appeared by Jupiter's side a second later, extending a sharp claw towards her. Jupiter ducked the blow and landed a hard kick to its stomach, but it hardly stumbled.

"I forgot to warn you," Sailor Moon said, her mouth twisting into a grim expression. "This thing is _fast_."

"Great," Mars muttered under her breath. "Just what I needed today. An ugly, giant bug with sharp claws that can cross great distances in the blink of an eye. And why do I feel dizzy?"

"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall," Jadeite grinned at her, but Mars fixed him with a glare that would have brought a lesser man to his knees, and his smug expression promptly shriveled up. "… or not?"

"You're dizzy because of the antennae," Mercury said, clicking off her visor. "They're emitting a high wave frequency, too high to be heard by human ears, but it interrupts the body's natural equilibrium. If it continues, it will only get worse, and we will likely pass out in approximately 15 minutes if it's not stopped."

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Mars said, her voice positively dripping with sarcasm. "All right. She pulled out an ofuda and closed her eyes, chanting the incantation under her breath. When she was finished, she snapped her eyes open, set the ofuda on fire, and sent it towards the youma. It froze briefly, but shook the ofuda off with little effort, and Mars cursed under her breath.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Venus sent her chain curling around the youma's antennae, tugging valiantly, but her efforts were in vain, and after a brief struggle, the youma broke free.

"Nothing's working," Mars growled in frustration as she turned to Jadeite. "Do you have any bright ideas, or are you just all talk and no substance?"

"I'll have you know that I—" Jadeite began, but Sailor Moon cut him off.

"This is hardly the time for fighting," she chided. "We all need to be at our best. Now before you despair at our inevitable, impending doom, I have an idea that might work." Closing her eyes, she took off her tiara and focused.

"Moon Tiara Action!" The tiara remained a lifeless hunk of metal in her hand.

"Sailor Moon?" Venus questioned, her eyes full of concern. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she said. "I just… I don't know, this has been happening a little lately. Maybe I'm not focused enough, I usually get it on my second try."

"You should tell Luna and Artemis about this," Mercury said. "This isn't good."

"I know, and I will," Sailor Moon said. "But now's not the time." She took a deep breath, and kept her goal clearly in mind—she knew the youma hadn't been weakened enough to dust it, but maybe if she focused she could do some damage anyways.

Once more, she grabbed her tiara and called out the attack, and this time, she felt it come to life in her hands. She threw it in a graceful arc towards the youma, and it sliced through its antennae before returning to her hand.

Despite herself, she couldn't quite help the small, smug smirk that crept onto her face. Mission accomplished.

"Good job, Sailor Moon," Mercury said. "Are you guys in control of the situation? My scan of the youma produced no other useful information, unfortunately, it doesn't have any notable weaknesses. So, I think my skills would be best put to use attending to the wounded civilians."

Sailor Moon nodded. "We've got this." The youma had been shrieking in pain from the loss of its antennae, but it was quickly recovering. It crouched low, ready to spring into an attack, but Venus was faster.

"Crescent Beam!" The attack hit the youma squarely and it stumbled, but recovered quickly.

"Alright, time to end this." Jadeite made a show of cracking his knuckles ad flashed Mars a smug smile before he turned his attention to the youma. He inhaled sharply, rubbed his hands together, and shot a gout of flame towards the youma. But the youma was faster, neatly ducking the attack and springing forward, claws out, at the same time.

Jadeite managed to dodge the attack, but Mars cried out in pain as the blades pierced her arm.

"Enyo!" Jadeite screamed, his voice contorted with fury. He shoved his hands forward, a continuous stream of flames erupting from his palms. The youma screamed and twitched in the onslaught of the flames, but Jadeite didn't let up.

"Jadeite, that's enough," Sailor Moon said. "It's weak enough now. _Jadeite_!"

Finally, he turned to look at her, though he didn't stop his attack. Despite her frustration, Sailor Moon couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him. His blue eyes burned with hatred and fury, his emotions clearing betraying how much he really did care for Mars, beneath his smarmy, smartass exterior.

"Let me finish it off," she said, her voice gentle, but stern.

"Why should I?" he snarled, and Sailor Moon's eyes flashed. She didn't have time to argue with him like this.

"You won't be able to hold it for long with just your flames," Sailor Moon said. As if to prove her point, the youma broke free a moment later. Snarling, smoking and clearly injured, but very much not dead.

"Look out!" she yelled, and Jadeite turned just in time to avoid being impaled. Sailor Moon, however, wasn't quite so lucky. The youma's claws raked across her chest, leaving barely more than a scratch, but as she stumbled backwards she felt her ankle crunch sickeningly beneath her.

"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter had been attending to Mars' wounds, making sure it wasn't too serious, but she looked up just in time to see Sailor Moon stumble backwards.

Venus had been standing guard, and took off running the moment she saw Sailor Moon fall, but it was clear she wouldn't make it in time as the youma prepared to strike again. The only person close enough to even have a chance of doing something was Jadeite, but he just stood there, dumbfounded, stuck in place as the youma leaned in close, baring its fangs, dripping with venom ready to strike.

Sailor Moon shoved her scepter between herself and the youma as it launched itself at her, but it was clear it wouldn't hold it for long. Her arms shook with the effort of holding the youma off as it snapped its jaws inches from her face. The venom from its fangs dripped onto her shoulder, burning holes through the fabric of her uniform, and she winced, but held her ground.

"Damnit, I don't have a clear shot!" Venus yelled, her voice filled with panic. "If I strike now, I could hit you."

Sailor Moon didn't say anything in response, she just grit her teeth in determination, hoping to at least hold off the youma until someone found a way to help that wouldn't risk hurting her as well. But she was slowly being overpowered, and she couldn't stop the scream that tore from her throat as the tip of the youma's fang sunk into her shoulder. The fang hadn't managed to penetrate more than an inch or two when suddenly she was airborne, a pair of familiar arms holding her tight and whisking her away from danger. Tuxedo Kamen.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern and Sailor Moon looked up at him. That was a mistake. The familiar white mask he wore seemed to only amplify the look of genuine concern and caring that shone in his deep blue eyes, and Sailor Moon felt a twinge of that old heartbreak she had slowly been coming to terms with. He was concerned about her well-being in a purely professional manner, the way any colleague would, she reminded herself. That was all.

"Fine," she muttered sullenly. "It's all minor. Put me down, I need to speak to Jadeite."

Tuxedo Kamen obliged, but the second Sailor Moon's feet touched the ground, she fell to her knees. Crap. In the adrenaline of trying not to die, she'd forgotten about the broken ankle, but the pain seared up her whole leg when she put weight on it.

"Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, but she waved him away and pushed herself to her feet, careful to balance on only her non-injured leg. She hobbled back to where the Shitennou and Senshi were still fighting off the youma, and pulled out her scepter. "Moon Scepter Elimination!" The youma crumbled to dust, and everyone turned to look at her. Good. She had their attention.

She marched over to Jadeite as best she could with a broken ankle and poked him firmly in the chest. "You absolute baka. Was I not perfectly clear when I told you to stay out of my way? I trust my Senshi with my life, and that is why we make a good team. I know their strengths and their weaknesses and I know I can rely on them. I know that if I tell them to do something, they will do it, not question why, and they _especially_ will not outright refuse an order."

Jadeite flinched with each word. "I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough," she said, pursing her lips in distaste. "I gave you and the rest of the Shitennou the benefit of the doubt, and right about now, I'm starting to think that wasn't a good idea. I very nearly died, Jadeite. And while I admit that is an unfortunately common experience in my life, the last thing I need is more danger because one of my allies cannot follow orders because he let his emotions got the better of him."

"I said I was sorry!" Jadeite said, slouching like a child being chided for stealing cookies from the cookie jar, not like a man who was owning up to his grave mistake, and Sailor Moon sighed and shook her head.

"I don't want an apology, Jadeite," she said. "I want a change. I nearly died because of you. If you can't realize your mistake, if you can't control yourself, you have no place on my team. Because it is _my _team, and you need to respect that. You can't let your emotions get the better of you. People get hurt. People nearly die. Hell, everyone here has died twice!" She waved her arm at the Senshi behind her. "If you want to avoid that happening, you stay level-headed and calm, and if I tell you to stop needlessly torturing a youma because it will only aggravate it and will never kill it, you'd damn well better listen to me. I won't warn you again."

The fight drained out of her, and she was suddenly aware of the throbbing pain in her shoulder and ankle. She swayed slightly on her feet, but someone grabbed her shoulders before she could fall. She looked behind her and saw Tuxedo Kamen, his expression tight and unreadable. She hadn't realized he'd been standing there.

"Venus, could you please see to it that Sailor Moon's injuries are taken care of?" he asked, handing her off to the Senshi of Love. "I need to have a word with Jadeite." Venus nodded and wrapped an arm around her friend's waist, helping her hobble off.

Tuxedo Kamen looked to Jadeite, then jerked his head. "I'd like a word in private." He stalked off, not looking to see if Jadeite was following.

* * *

Tuxedo Kamen didn't walk far, just far enough to be out of hearing range of the Senshi. His hands balled into fists at his sides as he thought about what Sailor Moon had said. When he'd felt that familiar twinge that meant Sailor Moon was in danger, he'd gotten there as fast as he can, and not a moment too soon.

He swore his heart stopped every time he found her like that, moments from death. He knew she was a capable warrior, and passionately devoted to her cause, and that she threw herself into danger because she wanted to protect other people. It was one of the things he loved most about her, but it was so damn_ hard _seeing her with a youma about to sink its claws into her.

But he hadn't realized it wasn't the ordinary kind of situation that Sailor Moon so often found herself in. He hadn't realized that it had been _Jadeite_. Jadeite, his supposed friend and guardian, had nearly gotten Sailor Moon killed.

"What. The. Hell. Were. You. Thinking?" Mamoru ground out, whirling on Jadeite the second they were out of earshot. He grabbed Jadeite by the collar, balling his hand into a fist around the fabric and shoving it up against Jadeite's throat.

"Ow!" he complained. "Let go of me!"

"Not until you explain what the hell happened out there," he snarled, tightening his grip around Jadeite's collar.

"It's a bit hard to explain when I can't breathe," Jadeite rasped out, and Mamoru reluctantly released him.

Jadeite smoothed out his collar, grumbling a little as he did so. "Look. I'm sorry. I know I messed up, I just… Enyo… Mars," he corrected himself. "She was hit by the youma and I just… I panicked, okay? What would you do if Sailor Moon was in danger?"

"I most certainly wouldn't put someone else in danger with reckless behavior just because of my feelings," he snapped. "You can't ignore direct orders, Jadeite. I know you've always had a fondness for flouting the rules, but they're there for a reason, and Sailor Moon knows best. What did she even tell you to do that you decided was unimportant?"

Jadeite flinched slightly and avoided looking Mamoru in the eye. "I… I was angry and scared, seeing Mars hurt like that. So, I attacked the youma. Sailor Moon told me to stop, so she could finish it off, and I… didn't stop. And then the youma broke free of the attack, and I… did nothing to stop it."

"What do you mean you did nothing to stop it?" Mamoru's voice was cold and perfectly level and Jadeite flinched again.

"I… I was standing right next to her. I could have—_should_ have—tried to block the attack, but I panicked and I just… stood there. I'm sorry!"

Mamoru's eyes burned with fury and he grabbed Jadeite's collar again. "Never do that again. I promise you, if Sailor Moon is ever hurt again because your idiot self couldn't keep your emotions in check, I will make you live to regret it."

"I'm sorry!" Jadeite said again. "I don't know what else to say. I understand your anger, I know you love her, I know you two are Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity, destined to be together and all that, and I swear I never meant to hurt your girlfriend. I just didn't want to see _mine_ getting hurt." He paused. "Well, ex-girlfriend I suppose."

Mamoru sighed. "I know you didn't intend to hurt her, but you need to use your brain. I know you have one. You can be a brilliant strategist but you have to keep your emotions in check. I know it's difficult, but it's necessary. And also… Sailor Moon isn't my girlfriend."

Jadeite squinted at Mamoru suspiciously, ignoring the first part of his sentence. "What do you mean she isn't your girlfriend?"

"I…" Mamoru rubbed his temples. "We broke up."

"Are you joking?" Jadeite asked, despite Mamoru's very somber attitude. "Why the hell would you break up? Are you an idiot?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me names," Mamoru snarled. "It's just… it's complicated, okay?"

"Do you not love her?"

"Of course I love her!" Mamoru shouted. "I'd be an idiot not to."

"Then what's so complicated about it?" Jadeite said. "Seems to me if you love her and she loves you—and I saw the googly eyes she made at you when you saved her from certain doom, there's definitely no doubt about the love on her part—then there's no reason not to be together."

"I just… I can't explain it right now," Mamoru said. "It's a long story, I'm tired, and you wouldn't understand."

"You're damn right I wouldn't understand," Jadeite said. "We—me, Kunzite, Zoisite and Nephrite—have been working so hard to come back. We were brainwashed and killed, twice, and now that we're finally ourselves again, we've been working to redeem ourselves, to win back the affection and trust of the women we loved in a previous life. You had all that. How could you just throw it away?"

Mamoru shook his head. "I'll explain some other time. Please, just… don't press the subject right now. I don't want to get into it."

Jadeite opened his mouth again, but then paused and closed it. Something in Mamoru's expression must have convinced him otherwise, as he shook his head and sighed. "Fine. I won't press the subject. But I hope for your sake—for everyone's sake, really—that you think long and hard about whether this is really want you want to be doing. You just lectured me about being an idiot and not letting my feelings get in the way, and I think you should consider your own words. I might not have the wisdom that Kunzite does or the pure smarts that Zoisite has, or the knowledge of all things mystical that Nephrite does, but I think I know enough to say that you're being an emotional idiot, and it needs to stop."

He paused for a moment and then walked off, leaving Mamoru alone to consider his words.

* * *

**AN: Please keep up with your awesomeness and review! Much love to all.**


	15. Forging New Bonds

**AN: Sorry for the big delay again, everyone! Between finals at school and then the holidays, life was crazy, and this chapter was a little hard to write as well. But I have the next one more or less planned out, so fingers crossed I can get it out a little sooner.**

**As always, thanks to all my amazing reviewers: Sailor Earth, SereStarOfGaea, slightlyxjaded, lilymoon80, Sage McGavin, HyenaYu, and James Birdsong. Your guys' endless support really means the world to me. Now, onwards to chapter 15!**

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Usagi sat at the counter at the Crown Arcade, kicking her legs and sipping a milkshake while next to her, Chibiusa worked on some coloring pages. Things in their lives had been so stressful and chaotic lately, and Usagi thought they deserved a break. Sighing happily, she slurped down the last of her milkshake.

"All finished, Usagi?" Motoki asked, gesturing to her empty glass.

"Yes, thank you," she said. "Delicious as always. I must owe you so much money by now, though, you don't have to keep giving me free milkshakes."

Motoki waved away her concerns. "You're a friend, Usagi. Besides, you looked like you could use it. How did you say you injured yourself again?"

"Oh, I, uh… fell," Usagi said lamely. Motoki arched an eyebrow, his expression disbelieving.

"You… fell."

Usagi nodded and forced a slight chuckle. "You know me… always such a klutz. I was late for school and wasn't looking where I was going, and bam! Tripped over a broken piece of concrete."

Motoki still looked doubtful, but he nodded slowly. "Right. Try and be more careful, Usagi." He cracked a small smile. "You're going to seriously injure yourself one of these days, and then where will the rest of us be without your sunny presence?"

"Don't I know it," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, I said I'll do my best to be more careful," she said with a bright smile. "Say, Chibiusa… if you're about done, we should get back home."

"But I like it here," the little girl whined.

Usagi smiled. "I know. I do, too, but we can't stay here all day. Mama will have lunch ready soon, and you don't want to miss out on her delicious home-cooked meals, do you?"

Chibiusa frowned, considering the situation, but her stomach rumbled, giving her away. "Okay, I am a little hungry."

Usagi laughed and ruffled her hair playfully. "When are you _not_ hungry?"

The girl pulled a face, sticking her tongue out at Usagi, but she grabbed her hand anyways, waving to Motoki with her free arm. "Bye, Motoki-onii-san! Thanks for the milkshakes!"

"You're very welcome!" he said, waving back. "You girls are my two best customers; you're welcome any time." He grabbed Usagi's crutches that were leaning against the counter and handed them to her. Usagi thanked him with a smile and hobbled towards the door.

"Be careful!" Motoki called out after her.

"I will, I promise!" Usagi called back. Once her back was turned, she pulled a face. She was _not_ happy about these crutches she had to use. Since going to a doctor was out of the question, Ami had examined her and diagnosed her with a fractured ankle, which, while a pain, shouldn't require crutches. Normally she would just expend some energy and use her healing abilities to heal the injury until it was at least walkable, but Ami had apparently decided that Usagi had been over-exerting herself lately, and needed to heal the natural way, to save her energy. Unfortunately, that also meant the slow way. Her latent fast healing should at least make it go faster than otherwise, but Ami had ordered herself to not help it along at all.

"Hey, Usagi?" Chibiusa's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Usagi questioned.

"Thank you for protecting me," the little girl said, throwing her arms around Usagi's waist, nearly knocking her over with the effort of it. Chibiusa may have been little, but she was fierce, and stronger than she realized.

"Hey, what brought this on?" Usagi asked with a laugh, awkwardly balancing her crutches so she could hug the girl back.

Chibiusa smiled bashfully. "I know the bad guys are coming after me, and you were hurt because you were trying to keep me safe."

"Well, you're very welcome," Usagi said, brushing the girl's bangs aside and kissing her forehead. "You're important to me, and I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe." She paused, carefully considering her next words. "You know… if you wanted to help… you could tell me a little bit about what happened to you, in the 30th century."

Chibiusa immediately withdrew and started whimpering and shaking her head.

"Please," Usagi begged. "I know it's hard. But we can keep you safe better if we know what happened. We're just guessing at the details, but you can help so much."

"I can't," Chibiusa started to cry. "I won't!"

Usagi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Clearly, this had been the wrong thing to say. "Alright. You don't have to say anything, but think about it, okay? For now, let's get home, mama is waiting for us."

Chibiusa sniffed a little and wiped away her tears. "Okay."

Usagi tried to offer a reassuring smile, but it was difficult. She understood that this was hard for Chibiusa, and she wanted to be supportive of the girl, she did, but… they were at an impasse. There was little else they could do without knowledge of why the Black Moon Clan was here or why they wanted Chibiusa.

Usagi rearranged her crutches and started hobbling down the sidewalk with Chibiusa by her side, but she hadn't gotten more than a few feet when a yellow sports car pulled up beside them, honking.

"You ladies need a lift?"

Usagi turned to see Haruka and Michiru sitting in the car, still in their school uniforms. Michiru gave a polite smile and Haruka lifted her hand in a friendly wave.

"Actually… a ride would be lovely," Usagi said. She wasn't relishing the thought of trying to hobble back home on crutches, but there was no convenient bus from her house to the Arcade as it wasn't a terribly long walk.

"Hop on in," Haruka said, and Chibiusa easily scrambled into the backseat, Usagi following a little more awkwardly.

"Hello, Chibiusa," Michiru said.

"Hi," the little girl said with a slightly shy smile.

The conversation lulled as Haruka zoomed out into traffic, and Usagi smoothed the pleats in her skirts, not sure what to say. It had been awhile since she'd seen the older girls, either in their civilian form or their Senshi form, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to be in their company right now.

"So, Usagi," Haruka said conversationally. "What happened? Looks like a pretty nasty injury."

"It was," Usagi said, her tone flat. "There was an… incident. There have been a lot of incidents lately, actually. Luckily, it could have been a lot worse, but it could have been a lot better, too, and certain people's presence might have had an effect on that."

Usagi wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn Haruka flinched slightly and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. She looked to Michiru, but the teal-haired woman just shook her head slightly at her girlfriend, and Haruka sighed. Looking up, she met Usagi's eyes in the rearview mirror and smiled slightly.

"I'm… sorry to hear that," she said. "The people who could have helped were… tied up elsewhere. Dealing with a different incident. But I'm glad to hear that things were mostly okay."

Usagi gave a testy sigh and scrunched up her face. Chibusa glanced between Usagi and Haruka, her expression confused, and Usagi smiled and leaned over to smooth down the girl's hair.

"It's just boring adult stuff," she said. "About the bad guys. Nothing you need to worry about."

Haruka pulled to a stop a moment later. "This is your house, isn't it?"

Usagi nodded. "Chibiusa, why don't you go on inside and see if mama needs help with lunch, okay? I'll join you in a minute."

Chibiusa hesitated for a moment, before nodding and running inside the house. As soon as she was safely inside, Usagi turned her attention to Haruka and Michiru. "Where were you?"

The two older girls looked at each other before Haruka sighed and looked at Usagi. "We were investigating something else. I'm sorry."

Usagi pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't want apologies. I want an explanation. We're supposed to be a team now, and you can't just show up to battle when it's convenient for you." She sighed and leaned back in the seat. "I realize I don't have any way of contacting you two, and perhaps that's my fault for not pressing the issue further. As leader of the Senshi, I should be on top of these things and take initiative. So, I apologize for that. But you two have hardly been forthcoming and frankly, I'm not sure how much it's worth it if I have to all but force you to cooperate with me."

Haruka opened her mouth to say something, but Michiru put a hand on her shoulder. "You're right, Usagi. I apologize for our behavior. Haruka and I have been a team for so long, just the two of us, that it's hard to remember sometimes that that is no longer the case. We are used to doing things on our own. But as you say, if we are going to be a team, we must integrate ourselves more fully."

Usagi blinked, a little surprised that it had gone over so well. She'd expected more of an argument. "Okay. Great. But... this doesn't fully solve the issue. How am I supposed to contact you?"

Michiru smiled slightly. "Haruka and I have communicator that we use to contact each other, and I believe they're similar in design to yours. I'll contact you shortly, and your communicator should automatically save the frequency specific to mine and Haruka's, so you can use it to get in touch in the future."

Usagi nodded. "Great. This sounds like a plan. And… thank you. I'm sure it isn't easy adjusting to taking orders from someone else when you're used to being on your own."

Haruka laughed at that. "No, it isn't, and Michiru will say that I've always been too stubborn for my own good. But, you're Princess Serenity. We're sworn to protect you, no matter what."

Usagi smiled and opened the car door, swinging her legs out. "I suppose that's true. But regardless, thank you. I'm glad to have you on my side."

"Any time," Haruka said, her voice serious.

Usagi didn't say anything else, just smiled and nodded as she arranged her crutches and tries to awkwardly maneuver her way out of the car.

"Oh, and Usagi?" Haruka called.

Usagi glanced back, pausing in her movements.

"Take care."

Usagi smiled. "Will do."

Rearranging her crutches once more, she hobbled up the walkway from the street to her house. Taking a minute to compose herself she opened the door and was instantly greeted with the mouth-watering scent of her mama's cooking.

"I'm home!" she called out.

"Usagi!" Ikuko came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "What took you so long? Your lunch is going to get cold."

"Sorry, mama," she said. "Chibiusa and I got a ride home with some friends, and I had to stay behind and talk to them about something afterwards."

Ikuko frowned and planted her hands on her hips. "Well, I made tempura and udon noodles."

"Sounds delicious!" Usagi said, her stomach rumbling at the thought. She started hobbling towards the kitchen, but Ikoko put a hand out to stop her.

"Usagi… I know I haven't exactly been… open to your… other lifestyle," Ikuko began, her words somewhat awkward and stilted as she tried to figure out how to phrase it. "But… you didn't really trip and fall, did you?"

Usagi sighed. "No, mama. I didn't."

Ikuko's frown deepened. "I don't want to know the details, I think it would be better if I don't know too much, but… are you okay? I just need to know that you're safe, because Kami help me, Usagi, I don't care about destiny or whatever it is that's going on, you're 14 years old, and I don't like the idea of you out there, getting into trouble. Can't you just… stop?"

Usagi leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, the way she always used to when she was a little kid. "I know. I'm okay, mama, I promise. I can't stop, but even if I could… I wouldn't want to. Not anymore." She looked up. "I'm doing something important. For once in my life, I feel _useful_. I feel capable. I'm helping people and I'm making a difference in the world, and I'm the only one who can. I'm a part of something bigger. Something… wonderful."

Ikuko sighed and smoothed down Usagi's hair. "Alright. So long as you're safe. But you still have to get into a good high school, you hear me? So, go eat you lunch and then I fully expect you to do your homework."

Usagi laughed a little. "I promise."

* * *

Makoto wandered around the Juban Botanical Garden, stopping and letting out a small gasp as she passed a particularly stunning orchid. "Oh! This is exquisite."

"I thought you might like it here."

Makoto looked up at Nephrite with a slightly shy smile. "I do. A lot. Thank you. Everything is so lush and beautiful, and… it makes me happy knowing that you thought of me." She blushed slightly at that.

Nephrite smiled, and put a finger under her chin, tilting her head to look at him. "I care about you, Makoto. I want to make you happy. And… I want to get to know you better, in this life."

Makoto grinned and leaned forward, pressing a feather-light kiss to his lips. "I'm glad. I want the same thing."

Nephrite's smile broadened and he offered her his arm and they kept walking. "So, aside from your love of plants, what else interests you in your spare time?"

Makoto hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I love cooking. That's probably my biggest passion. I'd love to open a bakery someday, I love cooking for other people, and people generally seem happy when they eat my pastries, which makes me happy." She laughed a little at that and ducked her head.

"I'd love to sample your cooking sometime," Nephrite said. "It would be a great honor."

"Maybe you should come over for dinner sometime," Makoto said, blushing again as she grinned at him.

"I'd like that a lot," he said.

Makoto giggled and rested her head on his shoulder briefly. "Good."

"So, how did you first get interested in cooking?" Nephrite asked after a slight pause.

"My mom was an amazing cook," Makoto said. "I have a lot of fond childhood memories of standing on a stepstool in the kitchen, helping her prepare dinner. I still have a lot of her notes carefully tucked away, and some of my favorite recipes come from her."

"Where's your mom now?" he asked softly.

"She died," Makoto said, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. "Both my parents did, a few years ago. I… there was a plane crash."

"I'm so sorry," Nephrite said, his words heartfelt, and Makoto squeezed his hand. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been."

"It's okay. It was hard at first, but things are better now." She paused, reflecting on the past as she decided how much detail to go into. "I was 12 when it happened. I moved in with my uncle at first, but he'd never had kids, and he didn't know how to handle them, especially not an angry young girl who had just lost her parents. I got into trouble at school a lot, I picked fights and even got expelled from my old school, so my uncle kicked me out. That was almost a year ago."

Nephrite's brows furrowed together in concern, but he didn't say anything, even when Makoto paused, letting her take things at her own pace.

"I managed to get legal custody of myself," she said. "And moved into an apartment of my own. My parents were pretty wealthy, so I inherited a decent fortune. I turned to martial arts to help me channel my anger in a more healthy way, I changed schools and met my first real friend in Usagi, and well… here I am."

"And I'm very glad," Nephrite said. They were on a small bridge overlooking a pond, and he stopped and turned to her. "You're amazingly strong, Makoto. To have gone through so much at such a young age… you astound me."

Makoto smiled and shrugged. "There wasn't really a choice. It was fight or flight, and well… I fought. And while I miss my parents deeply, every day… I'm happy now. I've made my peace with it. Discovering that I was a Sailor Senshi helped a lot, it made me feel like I had a purpose, like all of the choices I'd made and all of the things that had happened were just leading up to this. But even without the Sailor Senshi… I have Usagi, and the girls, I'm getting good grades in school again, and… now I have you. I have a lot of love and support in my life."

"And I'm so glad," Nephrite whispered, drawing her closer. "Makoto, I-"

She pressed a finger to his lips. "Don't. I know what you're going to say, Nephrite, and… don't." He looked hurt, and she hastened to continue. "I care about you deeply, Nephrite. You mean a lot to me, and I'm glad to have you in my life again, but I want to take things slow. I _need_ to take things slow. And when you say you love me, I want to be able to say it back. Right now… I can't. Not yet."

He nodded and sighed. "I… understand. I'm sorry."

Makoto leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I want you in my life. I just… don't want to rush into anything, okay?"

Nephrite nodded and wrapped his arms around her. "Okay."

Makoto smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Now, come on, let's go explore the rest of these gardens."

* * *

On his throne at the center of the Black Moon Clan's palace, Prince Demande was fuming. "Esmeraude!"

"Yes, my lord?" Esmeraude asked, hurrying into the room with a fluttering of eyelashes and her fan. "You called?"  
"Explain yourself," he demanded.

"I… I don't know what you mean, my lord," Esmeraude said with a nervous giggle.

"I trusted you to be my second-in-command after Rubeus failed me. And yet, you keep failing me as well."

"B-but… my lord… my droids-"

"Are complete failures," Demande interjected, his eyes flashing. "The Rabbit is still alive. The Senshi have only grown in number. The future Neo-Queen Serenity is not by my side. How do you explain this?"

"I've been trying my hardest," Esmeraude said, her tone taking on a pleading quality. "I really have! I promise you I will bring better results, my lord. Just give me another chance."

Demande sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. But I expect results. You're dismissed." He waved a hand lazily, and Esmeraude bowed before leaving.

"Why do you keep trusting your lackeys?" a voice asked from the shadows and Demande slumped further into his chair. Wiseman.

"They are part of the Black Moon Clan," he said. "We're a family."

"And yet they keep disappointing you. Disappointing the whole of Nemesis."

Demande shook his head. "Regardless. I can't do everything myself." He summoned the image of Neo-Queen Serenity in his crystal ball and sighed. "Someday. The Silver Crystal will be mine. _Ours_. And Serenity will be my Queen."

* * *

In their headquarters underneath the Crown Arcade, Ami sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd been researching for the past few hours, trying to understand more about the Black Moon Clan and what exactly happened in the 30th century, but it was so hard to research information on something that hadn't happened yet.

"Mind if I join you?"

Ami looked up in surprise and found Zoisite standing in the doorway. "Zoisite. I… wasn't expecting you." She fought to keep a slight blush from her cheeks. "But please, feel free. Perhaps you can help with things."

"I'd be happy to," he said, walking over and pulling up a chair. "What are you researching?"

"The Black Moon Clan," she said. "So far, we know that they're magic-wielding people from a planet called Nemesis, and they originate in the 30th century. We know that they attacked Crystal Tokyo and Chibiusa was somehow caught up in things and fled to our time period… but there's still so much we don't know, and Chibiusa refuses to talk about it."

Zoisite gave a sympathetic smile. "She's just a little kid. I'm sure it's not easy, being so far away from home and having lost all that she knows. Give it some time."

Ami shook her head. "We don't _have_ time. I can understand where Chibiusa is coming from, but… there's so much at stake here."

Zoisite sighed. "I suppose you do have a point."

There was a long silence and Ami had just turned back to her computer to do more research when Zoisite spoke again.

"Hey, Ami, uh… I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out some times? As friends!" he hastened to add. "I just, well… I don't know if this is too much too soon and if you just want to stay colleagues and nothing more, but there's this open house for the new observatory and I was thinking maybe we could take the chance to get to know each other a little better but I also understand if you don't want to and-"

"Zoisite." Ami stopped his rambling with a smile. "I… I'd love that. I think it would be good to get to know each other a little better."

"Really?" he grinned at her. "Great! So… should I pick you up on Saturday, then? Around 5pm?"

Ami nodded. "That sounds great."

"Great."

They didn't say anything for a moment, just grinned at each other, before Ami cleared her throat. "Um… for now though I should really research. But… you're welcome to stay."

"Oh yes of course," Zoisite said. "And I'd love to stay and help."

Ami smiled and the two of them settled in for a few more hours of research.

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**AN: Please review! :)**


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